Living in the Future
by writerchic16
Summary: Knowing what the future holds can be a curse and a blessing. Reba deals with some extraordinary moments throughout her mostly-ordinary life. [Follow-up to my "Terry the Guardian Angel" series.]
1. Chapter 1

**Living in the Future**

Summary: Knowing what the future holds can be a curse and a blessing. Reba deals with some extraordinary moments throughout her mostly-ordinary life. [Follow-up to my "Terry the Guardian Angel" series.]

A/N: I didn't plan to do this, really. In 2017 I realized we'd reached the year of Reba's trip to the future in the second story of my series. Cue present day, I'm editing my original novel (yup, it finally happened) and craving an additional writing exercise to keep the creative juices flowing. I couldn't stop thinking of this follow-up story. While my series could use major editing now that I'm older and wiser, for the most part I stand by it. In fact I'm hoping this new story will help me inject more of my old voice into my new work.

Aside from that – the timing couldn't be more perfect. The last chapter of the last story was posted in April 2009, so it's around the ten year anniversary! (God, I'm old.) Frankly I doubt any of my readers are still here, but if you are, this is for you. If you clicked on this not knowing anything about it...I feel for you, I really do. The four stories _are_ still posted on my profile, so here are the titles in order for those feeling brave:

Living a Dream

Living a Nightmare (Read the last few chapters of this one if nothing else!)

Living a Life Not Mine

Living with Myself

* * *

_**Chapter One**_

_**April 2017**_

It was the dress.

Reba froze, her breathing shallow, eyes unblinking. This couldn't be real, could it? Ten years couldn't have gone by already.

But there it was. The dress she saw her older self wearing, ten years ago. Innocently hanging on a rack.

Maybe she'd remembered wrong. It couldn't be _the_ dress.

But it all fit. Kyra was married and pregnant with her first child. Jake would graduate college this year, a reason to believe in miracles more than anything else she'd experienced. Cheyenne and Van had three kids. Brock and Barbra Jean had two. Everything fell into place, right on time.

Even the part about becoming a famous singer. Well, not as famous as it had looked to her past self, but still pretty well-known in her opinion...at least among country fans. She did have her own concert in a couple weeks. The show inspired this very shopping trip, when she realized she had nothing to wear.

Wait...so that meant...

Reba would be seeing her younger selves very, very soon. And Terry. Come to think of it, the concert hall she'd visited looked a lot like the one where she was scheduled to perform. Funny, past Reba thought it was a big stadium, but this venue only held a few hundred people. It must have been her mind playing tricks on her in her state of shock. Who could blame her?

"Earth to Mom? Hello?" Twenty-eight-year-old Kyra took a few steps towards her mother, not quite waddling but more hesitant than before the pregnancy. Her annoyance faded to concern when she noticed the panic in her mother's expression. "Hey, are you okay?"

Clearing her throat, Reba tried to shake off the moment but couldn't stop staring at the dress. It was emerald green, a slim number that stopped right above the knee. Exactly what she'd had in mind before the shopping trip. Had she subconsciously known it was time?

"_Mom! Say something!"_

Worried Kyra might call an ambulance, Reba forced herself to answer. "It's the dress," she whispered.

Kyra let out a sigh of relief but didn't relax just yet. "You're freaking out over fashion? Let me go find Cheyenne, she's better at this stuff."

"No, you don't understand." Reba managed to check if anyone would overhear her. Fortunately they had this section of the department store to themselves. "Kyra...this is the dress I saw. The one future me was wearing at the concert."

Her jaw dropped in surprise, but Kyra recovered quickly and also checked to make sure no one could hear them. "_Oh._ So, um, it's one of _those_ moments. When you turn into Super Psychic Mom."

The irritating nickname snapped Reba out of her daze, mostly. "For the last time, I'm not psychic! It was all Terry!" She stopped to let out a calming breath. One panic attack at a time. "That doesn't matter right now. Kyra, this concert is _the_ concert. What am I going to do?"

Kyra smirked. "Well, you already know that part, don't you? You were there."

"Oh my gosh, you're right," Reba realized. She finally broke away from the dress and paced in a small circle. "But that's even more terrifying, isn't it? If I say or do anything wrong it could change the past and my present. Good Lord, the slightest thing could mess up my whole life! All our lives! How the heck did the version of me I saw act so darn _calm?"_

Becoming concerned again, Kyra grabbed both of Reba's shoulders to stop the frantic pacing. "Mom, you've got to get a grip! At least until we're home. Then you can rant about time traveling as much as you want."

"Home, yes, let's go there..."

This was the condition thirty-three-year-old Cheyenne found her family in, sixteen-year-old Elizabeth trailing behind. "What the heck is going on here?" Cheyenne asked.

"Mom's having a meltdown. We need to leave, _now._"

Though Reba agreed, she resisted when Kyra grabbed her arm to leave the store. "Hold on. We have to buy the dress. It might be the most important dress I'll ever wear."

* * *

Back at home, Reba put the dress in her closet while she waited for her family to arrive. There were over a dozen of them so far with one on the way. Cheyenne and Van now had three children, just as she'd seen. Elizabeth inherited her parents' good looks, but valued her studies more than her social life. Elizabeth's ten-year-old brother, named Brock after his grandfather, now went by "Rocky" and corrected anyone who said otherwise. Their five-year-old sister, Alexis, was the youngest of the group and loved tagging along after the older kids.

Sixteen-year-old Henry and his little sister, nine-year-old Savannah, spent as much time as they could with their "nieces and nephew." All of the kids thought it odd that a teenager and a preteen were technically an uncle and aunt, not cousins. They usually referred to each other as "cousins" at school. If anything they teased Brock and Barbra Jean's son by calling him "Uncle Henry." Henry detested this name because it sounded like an old man – specifically, Dorothy's Uncle Henry in _The Wizard of Oz._

Feeling nostalgic, Reba continued her trip down memory lane and took a photo album out of her closet. Most people kept all their pictures on their smartphones these days, but Reba printed up and saved her favorites every year. The earlier incident in the department store made her stop at one particular picture of Cheyenne and Van, ecstatic as they hugged their two older children tightly. The proud parents had just announced the imminent arrival of their third child.

That day brought back another memory for Reba – when she first realized she might never be completely normal again.

_2011_

"_I'm pregnant!" Cheyenne exclaimed. Standing with Van in Reba's entryway, she rushed towards her siblings and parents in the living room. Beaming Van followed her for his share of the hugs and well-wishes. Elizabeth and Rocky joined in on the celebration, though they'd been told the news a few days earlier. Brock and Barbra Jean's family was also present. While preteen Henry congratulated his "cousins," four-year-old Savannah clapped even though she didn't understand the announcement._

_Overwhelmed with happiness, Reba hugged Cheyenne and didn't want to let go. "Oh my Lord, this is amazing! I can't wait to meet your daughter!"_

_Everyone in the room paused. Reba's husband Adam put his hand on her shoulder. "Um, honey, they didn't say anything about having a girl."_

_Cheyenne nodded. "It's true. Van and I don't even know yet, it's too early to tell."_

"_But ya'll are having a girl, aren't you? I feel like...I remember..." Reba trailed off, her eyes widening as she realized where the information came from. Slowly she took a step away from the group. "I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking. Excuse me."_

_Then she ran for the kitchen. Making sure the divider was closed, she began pacing, wondering how she could possibly explain the inexplicable. _

"_Reba?"_

_She stopped at the sound of Adam's voice. Her husband stood with equally-concerned Brock and Barbra Jean. In the last few years the trio became an odd team, bonding over their shared love for Reba. "What was that about?" Brock asked. "And why are you so pale?"_

"_I'm usually pale!"_

"_Reba!"_

_Barbra Jean stepped towards her best friend. "You know you can tell us anything, right?"_

_Staring at his ex-wife with deep concern, Brock added. "Yeah, Reba, we've known each other most of our lives and I've never seen you like this. Whatever this is, it can't be worse than not telling us."_

_Adam nodded in agreement. "Honey, you're scaring me a little. You have to tell us."_

_After a moment of quiet, Reba shocked them all when tears began streaming down her face. "I'm a freak," she sobbed. "Cheyenne _is_ having a girl. I'm sure of it because I've already seen her! You guys might not have heard, but...Terry showed me the future, back when this first started happening. I saw all of us in ten years." Reba paused to wipe away tears, struggling to compose herself. "Let me see, I wound up in 2017, so I guess that would make Cheyenne's third child about five. She's going to have brown hair, by the way."_

_Her family stared at her like she'd just announced she was an alien from another planet. Given the context, she completely understood. "It's not the first time this has happened," Reba continued, her voice steadier. "I knew Savannah would be a girl too, though I didn't make the connection until she was almost here. I guess I forgot after the commotion of being in Barbra Jean's body." She hesitated again, the memory flashing in her mind's eye. "Past me was way off about Savannah's age though. Let's chalk that one up to shock."_

"_Shock. Yeah, I get that." Adam moved closer to her, but when the first step was a little shaky, he sat on one of the stools at the counter island. "Reba...how...what...huh?"_

"_Right there with you, buddy." Brock also took a seat but chose a chair at the kitchen table. Both men wore expressions of total bewilderment._

_While surprised, Barbra Jean took the news better than they did. "Wow," she whispered. "It's funny. We never talk about Terry and what happened to all of us, but it did happen. I always thought we would have to confront it eventually and now... Reba, we need to tell the kids. Elizabeth and Henry might remember some, but I want our entire family to hear the stories. I want them to grow up knowing angels are real."_

_Reba didn't have it in her heart to protest. Barbra Jean's argument made sense, and truth be told, she didn't want to keep secrets either. "We'll cross that bridge later, Barbra Jean. The problem is, what do I tell Cheyenne and Van?"_

"_I don't see that there is a problem," Brock answered. "So what if Cheyenne and Van know they're having a girl? They'll be thrilled."_

_Adam shook his head. "As crazy as this is, I'm beginning to see where Reba's coming from. Think of all the time travel shows and movies you've ever seen – knowing about the future changes it. What if Cheyenne and Van finding out this way leads them to do something different? What if Cheyenne isn't as careful because she believes the baby will be healthy..."_

"_Okay you can stop now!" Reba exclaimed, putting her hands over her ears. She gave her husband a sideways glance. "No more _Quantam Leap_ reruns for you."_

"_You're the one panicking over a trip to the future!"_

"_Fair point." Reba took her hands off her ears and put an arm around Adam's shoulders. "Look, we can tell the kids everything that happened in the past, but Adam's right. The future needs to be off-limits. There's even a chance the future has already changed and Cheyenne's baby will be a boy. So let's just...make sure this doesn't leave the room. Until Cheyenne and Van find out for themselves."_

_Barbra Jean slowly nodded, taking it all in. "Okay, but what if something else comes up? Shouldn't you tell us what else you saw? Like, maybe another kid sitting next to Savannah..."_

"_Nice try," Reba retorted. "If something else comes up, I'll deal with it then. In the meantime I'm gonna try to live as normal a life as possible, whatever that is. And I believe 'normal' involves going inside to hug my pregnant daughter again."_

Reba smiled at the picture before closing the album, thanking God it all worked out. She never would have forgiven herself if something happened to Cheyenne or Alexis. As she put the album away, Reba resumed worrying about her current predicament. Should she try to contact Terry? Maybe this stress was for nothing and the past couldn't be changed...

"Heard you had a weird day."

Relieved to hear Adam's voice from the doorway, Reba ran to hug her husband. "'Weird' doesn't begin to describe it," Reba said, her head on his shoulder and her arms around his waist. "Just when I think I'm living a normal life, something like this happens."

"Honey, hate to break it to you, but you've never been normal. One of the many, many reasons I fell in love with you."

Reba laughed. "So, how much did Kyra and Cheyenne tell you?"

"Everything, but I swear I still can't figure out this time travel stuff. Watching _Doctor Who _doesn't prepare you for the real thing." He pulled away from her slightly so he could try to make sense of it. "Now, if I'm getting this right, you're about to see your past selves. In essence, bringing everything full-circle." His eyes widened when something dawned on him. "Oh my God. Does this mean it's over? You won't know anything about the future after the concert, right?"

The idea made her calm for the first time since the department store. Adam was right. After the concert, it would be over. No more knowledge about the future tugging at her subconscious. She might not even see Terry again for the rest of her life. While she could live without being "psychic," she hated the possibility of saying a final good-bye to her ex-boyfriend guardian angel.

Then again, as much as she would miss Terry, he died almost fifteen years ago. Maybe they both needed to finally move on.

Adam frowned. "What? I can practically see the mental gears turning."

"Nothing, it's just...the end of an era." Reba linked her arm with his and turned them both towards the stairs. "I think I hear the door. Sounds like the gang's all here."

* * *

Reba stood behind the living room couch in front of her family. All five kids went to play softball in the backyard, none of them suspecting anything unusual. Sunday dinners had become a regular fixture for the Hart-Montgomery clan. When Reba expressed her desire for a weekly family dinner, Adam explained how his Italian relatives back east still got together for homemade pasta and meatballs every Sunday. Reba couldn't promise a pasta dish every week, but she suggested the concept and the family agreed wholeheartedly.

Over the years, Reba also redecorated the living room to accommodate everyone. While the basic color palate stayed the same, she bought a longer couch for the middle, and replaced the club chairs with loveseats. Now each adult could sit comfortably, though they often brought in chairs on the rare occasion the kids joined them.

This week, Barbra Jean offered to bring over chicken parmesan since Reba needed to go shopping for the concert. With dinner finishing in the oven, the adults gathered around to help Reba through the latest crisis. One that no one else in the world could have. All adults who knew about Terry were in this room, sans Jake and Lori Ann. Jake was away at college. Lori Ann had moved with her new husband about five years ago, but she stayed close enough that Reba could see her every few months.

Reba had also recognized Lori Ann's husband from her trip to the future. Another weird day added to a list of many.

They did have a small problem – Kyra married her bandmate Bryce two years ago, and he still didn't know the family secret. They solved the problem by convincing Bryce to pick up dessert from a bakery. Kyra made sure to choose a place that would be at least a half hour's drive one way.

"Okay, we have limited time here," Reba began. "This is a doozy, so I really wish we could have thought of a bakery further away. Like in Austin."

Kyra chuckled. She sat on the loveseat by the door, her feet elevated on the coffee table. "Sorry Mom, but I didn't marry an idiot. If we sent him on a wild goose chase, he'd have plenty of questions when he got back."

"Why don't we just tell him?" Barbra Jean asked.

"How would we convince him?" Brock replied. "It's not like years ago when bizarre things happened all the time. Reba hasn't even seen Terry...have you, Reba?" He and his wife sat on the side of the couch closest to Kyra, next to Cheyenne and Van. Adam took the other loveseat, which had space for Reba should she ever calm enough to sit down.

While Reba tried to think of the last time she saw Terry, Van shook his head in disbelief. "There's something that never stops being weird. 'Hey, Mrs. H, your guardian angel appear out of thin air lately?'" He gave Reba a sideways glance. "You sure you're not a saint? 'Cause this kind of thing usually only happens in The Bible."

Reba rolled her eyes at the ridiculous question, but Barbra Jean added to the theory. "You know, Van, I've thought the same over the years. There's got to be something different about Reba, because no one else I know has met their guardian angel..."

"Will ya'll quit it?" Their remarks got under Reba's skin. Deep down – _deep _down – she'd had similar thoughts before. But that was just absurd, right? Everything happened because of the coma. And because she had a dead ex-boyfriend with a wicked sense of humor. "Once again, for the thousandth time, it was all from the coma and Terry messing with my head. To answer your question, Brock, I haven't seen him in two years. Not since...um..."

She paused, realizing Cheyenne and Van didn't know this story. For good reason.

_2015_

_How could she lose Rocky? She raised three children of her own and now helped raise three grandchildren. How could she do something so stupid, so...Barbra Jean-like? She still didn't fully trust Barbra Jean after finding out she lost Elizabeth. Now Reba wouldn't have a leg to stand on._

_Reba should have admitted that taking all five kids to the aquarium by herself would be too much. But fourteen-year-olds Elizabeth and Henry insisted they could help with Rocky, Savannah and Alexis. Well, Elizabeth insisted. Henry didn't care about seeing fish and wanted to play video games at home. Still, Elizabeth forced him to help them out._

_So, with Alexis still in her stroller, they all went to the aquarium for the day. It happened that Cheyenne and Van couldn't leave since they were getting some repairs done on their roof. Both parents also had work to catch up on. Reba almost canceled the trip when Barbra Jean was called into the studio, and Brock wound up taking care of their own house maintenance issues. One by one every adult backed out until by some twist of fate, Reba was the only parent left._

_In Reba's opinion, this was everyone else's fault as much as hers. _They_ should have told the kids the trip was off, instead of leaving Reba to be the fall guy. She could do many things but she couldn't force five kids to stay home on a Saturday._

_She had to be calm. She couldn't panic in front of the remaining kids. As it was, Elizabeth had started crying silent tears, feeling like it was all her fault. Reba would have to console her later, but for the moment, she instructed the teens to _watch_ Savannah and Alexis while she alerted security. Soon enough all security detail and even some parents joined in the search for the missing eight-year-old._

_After a half hour and still no Rocky, Reba finally broke down in an empty exhibit, allowing a brief moment for tears before resuming the search. She found herself praying to God, Terry and whoever else was listening to help her find her grandson._

_Her prayers were answered. Terry appeared before her, for the first time in at least two or three years. "Hey, Reba."_

"_Thank God!" Reba hugged Terry so tightly she knocked him off balance. Embarrassed, she stepped back and tried to make a joke despite her tear-stained face. "See, this is what guardian angels are for. Not time travel or switching bodies or making clones."_

_Terry grinned at her. "You aren't real good at the 'asking for help' thing, are you?"_

"_No, not at all." Reba let out a deep, steadying breath. "Terry, I really screwed up. You gotta tell me – please, where's my grandson? Is Rocky okay?"_

_Her honest, humble answer won Terry over. "I'm supposed to be more vague about these things, but when have I ever followed the rules? He's fine, Reba. Rocky lost track of ya'll when he tried to find the shark exhibit on his own. He figured you were leaving soon so he went out to the car. Since you locked it, he's sitting on the grass by the curb."_

"_What? He knows better than that! We taught all the kids to go up to someone in charge if they're ever lost in public." Making a mental note to go over the rules again, Reba almost ran to the car without saying good-bye to Terry. She stopped short at the door and turned around. "Thank you. I can't say that enough. Will I see you again?"_

_Terry nodded. "You will. If you think about it, you'll probably remember when that will be."_

_The angel disappeared before she could ask for an explanation. Mystified, Reba ran off to gather up the kids and track down her grandson._

Now Reba understood. Terry had been talking about this moment, and the upcoming concert. "Um, I've just seen him on occasion," Reba finished, wondering why the kids never ratted her out. She supposed the teens felt partly responsible and kept the younger kids quiet."Now, can we please focus on the problem at hand?"

"I still don't see what the issue is," Kyra argued. "You know exactly what's going to happen, right? Just do that."

Reba sighed. "We've been over this. I can't guarantee I'll remember everything word for word. I've been racking my brain but Lord, this was ten years ago. I think past me needed an aspirin and I had it ready for her...me..." She trailed off and tried again. "Past me was kind of distracted by my _future husband_ sitting in the audience. When I only just met him!"

"Sorry," Adam said, but he couldn't help smiling at the idea of distracting her. "What was I doing?"

Resting her hand on the table behind the couch, Reba's brow creased as the question brought back another memory. "You...you looked at me," she realized. "It felt like our eyes locked. Like you knew I'd be there. Turns out, you do."

"Whoa," Cheyenne whispered in amazement.

Barbra Jean tilted her head in thought. "Too bad you didn't have a phone back then to record everything. Maybe you can have Terry take you back there for like, an instant replay." She paused. "I guess he'd take you _forward_, not back. Time travel is confusing."

"Preaching to the choir," Adam joked, with Kyra expressing her agreement.

While her instinct was to dismiss Barbra Jean's idea, as usual, Reba considered it. Could Terry show her the exact same moment again? Watching _three_ versions of herself interact might make her head spin, and on another level, break some laws of physics. But was it much worse than what she'd already seen? Well, she wanted to talk to Terry before the concert, so she'd take any reason to contact him. "That may not be as ridiculous as it sounds," Reba said. "At the very least, I do need to talk to Terry."

Struggling to follow the conversation, Brock managed to ask, "Can you still do that? I know he used to show up all the time before, but now..."

"I'm not sure. Let me try." Years ago Reba demanded Terry appear by shouting his name, but after the aquarium incident, she decided to use a different prayed. While her family watched, she placed her palms on the table behind the couch for balance and closed her eyes.

_Terry, I need to talk to you. Please. I'm sure you know what's going on. You can't expect me to face this alone, not when you've been so present in my life. Please guide me through this. I don't want to mess it up. There's too much on the line to take risks. I might be wrong, and nothing I do can change the past, but _tell_ me that so I can make it through the concert without a panic attack._

_Just...be my guardian angel and help me. Please._

"Time flies, huh?"

Reba opened her eyes at the sound of Terry's voice. She found him standing to her right, casually resting a hand on the table. Those on the couch jumped, Adam's jaw dropped...and Kyra waved. "I'd say so!" she greeted brightly, pointing to her pregnant stomach. "Question, am I allowed to time travel in this condition?"

Terry laughed and waved back. "I doubt it will be an issue. Congratulations, Kyra."

"Thanks! I'd love to introduce you to my husband, but he's..."

"H-here."

Everyone turned towards the entryway. Bryce Walter stood with wide, unblinking eyes, taking in the scene before him. He must have walked in at exactly the wrong moment. "I-I..." he stuttered, then tried again. "I-I forgot my wallet."

Reba sighed and glanced at Terry. "Admit it, you've missed us."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Almost a half hour later, shocked Bryce sat in the loveseat his wife occupied before, with Kyra next to him on the side closest to the couch. The rest of the family and Terry tried to help with mixed results. He couldn't stop staring at the angel in the room. "S-So..." Bryce said. "This kind of thing happens on a regular basis around here?" They gave him the basics but left out the majority of incidents after Reba's coma. No one even mentioned the clones or body switching.

"I don't know about _often_," Cheyenne said. "Mostly Mom is the one who sees Terry. You were just lucky this time."

Bryce let out a laugh that could have been mistaken for a whimper. "Yeah, _lucky._ Hey, Kyra, love of my life – were you ever going to mention your pretty major family secret?"

"Not really..."

"Kyra!"

"It wasn't my secret to tell! And frankly, it's not something that's usually on my mind." Kyra glanced at her mother and Terry. "Help me out here?"

Reba quickly went to stand by her daughter. "She's right, Bryce. Angelically speaking, things have been calm the past few years. I swear to God...and that's a big deal, considering present company...it never came up! We don't sit around and talk about angels all the time. Just, you know, today."

"When you sent me out to pick up dessert as a distraction." Bryce narrowed his eyes at guilty Kyra, but instead of further accusations, he let out a resigned sigh. "It's really hard for me to be mad at you when you're carrying my baby."

"Oh, okay! So good timing all around." At his puzzled look, Kyra added, "I honestly did want to tell you. Maybe it's not something that comes up, but it's important, and I never felt right about keeping this from you."

Bryce reached for Kyra's hand as he glanced at Terry. "I have a lot of questions. Like, why are you here today? If this doesn't happen a lot, why now?"

Terry hesitated before replying. "That will take some more explanation. Here's an idea. Kyra, why don't you go with Bryce to get that dessert you mentioned? You can fill him in during the ride."

Even though the suggestion threw her off, Kyra complied. With some effort she pulled her pregnant self up from the loveseat. "Um, okay. Is there a reason you're sending us out of the house?"

"Nope, I just know you two need to talk, and a crowd of people starin' at you doesn't help matters."

Kyra laughed. "Thanks, Terry. Are you staying for dinner?"

This time, her question startled him. "Oh, uh, I don't think so..."

"Come on, Terry," Barbra Jean said. "I made enough chicken to feed an army. You're more than welcome to join us."

Even though it was her house, Reba let the overstep slide since Barbra Jean was the one who cooked for more than a dozen people. "Yeah, hang out with us humans for once," Reba joked. "We've got a lot to talk about, so why not?"

Realizing he was out-matched, Terry shrugged in defeat. "Guess I can't argue with that logic. If my supervisor comes looking for me though, I'm blaming ya'll."

"I'm okay with that," Reba assured him.

Meanwhile, Kyra guided her overwhelmed husband towards the door. "Let's go, babe..."

"So not only do you all talk to angels, you invite them to _dinner_?"

"It would be rude if we didn't."

"Wait, wait." Bryce put his hand on the doorway as an anchor, as his wife tried to drag him towards the car. "What you said before...that girl, Nell, who we hung out with when we were teenagers...that was..."

"Yeah, we need to get you some fresh air."

* * *

Minutes later, Reba brought _the_ dress back down to the living room to show everyone who hadn't seen it. "This is the dress, right? I'm not crazy?"

"She asks her guardian angel," Van muttered, earning a glare from Reba.

Terry chuckled. "Yes, this concert coming up is the concert you saw. Frankly I don't get why you need me when you've handled everything pretty well over the years."

"'Over the years'? Mom, what's he talking about?" Cheyenne asked, turning around to glance at her mother. "Nothing strange has happened since the last wish, right? I mean, I think I would've heard if there was. And don't get me started on how long it took you to tell me when Kyra was the first to know. Mom laid down the law on with the 'no wishing rule,' but I should've gotten one to make up for it."

"What would you wish for, Cheyenne?" Barbra Jean asked, curious.

The question put a damper on Cheyenne's demands. "Well I can't think of it when you put me on the spot like this. But if I did get a wish, it would be a good one. A really good one."

"Hey!" Reba interrupted before the conversation got out of hand. "The 'no wishing' rule still stands in this house. Especially when a certain _somebody_ is actually around to hear it."

Feigning offense, Terry retorted, "Gee, you think she means me?"

Adam jumped in to back up his wife. "It's a good rule though. Terry, you have to admit you've caused a lot of chaos around here."

"Why do you say that like it's a bad thing?" Terry glanced at Reba, unable to hold back a teasing grin. "I think I'm offended by this 'no wishing' rule. I know what I'm doing, and just a reminder, the star _does_ still work."

"Okay, here's a wish for you. I _wish_ you'd stop pushing my buttons in front of my family." Reba sighed, fighting for patience. She hated that her automatic reaction to this topic was fear. While everything had always worked out in the past, wishes come true were a wild ride. She probably wouldn't look for the star again unless she really had an urgent need to prevent something terrible from happening, or...well, what else was there? She didn't need anything else so badly that she'd risk leaping into the unknown.

And wasn't that a kicker? The only person with the ability to grant wishes, and she refused to use it. Or to let her family use it. Did that make her selfish? Should she have spent the last ten years using the star to help her family, maybe even the less fortunate?

Good God, did she hold in her hands the power to create world peace?

Terry's laugh snapped her out of her frenzied state. "Okay, Reba, your thoughts were so loud just then I couldn't help but hear 'em. For the record, the star is only for you and your family – or those you consider family, like when Lori Ann made a wish. You couldn't use the star to change the world, just your corner of it."

"And why is that?" Reba spat before she realized the magnitude of her question. Since she couldn't take it back, she kept going. "Why _me?_ Van and Barbra Jean brought it up before, in their own goofy way, and I've gotta admit I've wondered myself. There's nothing special about me, so _why_…"

She stopped cold when Terry met her gaze, looking more serious than she'd ever seen him, alive or dead. "Reba," he replied. "If you truly believe there's nothing special about you, then you haven't been paying attention. In fact I'd say you're deep in denial." Letting the family chew on this for a while, Terry switched topics and went back to the dress Reba had draped over the back of the couch. "Now, I believe Reba called me for a reason. Though I don't think my help is really necessary."

The room became quiet, Reba's mind racing while she struggled to form words. She decided to keep pace with Terry even though she'd been shaken to her core. Badgering the guardian angel about her destiny wouldn't get her any answers. If he didn't want to address it yet, she could wait. For a while. A _short_ while.

"Y-yes, well, I disagree" she said, struggling to find her voice again. "To answer Cheyenne's earlier question, this has come up before, but it was usually minor and I didn't need to tell everybody. On the other hand, this concert...if it doesn't go exactly like I saw it..."

Conversation came to a halt when the kids burst in through the back door.

"Mom!"

"Dad!"

"Grandma Reba!"

"Aunt Reba!"

Henry, Rocky and Savannah rushed into the living room, yelling for their respective family members. After a while, Henry and Savannah started calling their father's ex-wife "Aunt Reba" because nothing else felt right. Reba gradually accepted it just like she'd accepted Barbra Jean as one of her best friends.

The trio gave Terry a curious look but otherwise ignored the stranger's presence. "Henry hit the ball onto the roof!" Rocky announced.

"Really? Way to go, son!" Brock changed his celebratory tone when he realized it may not be appropriate. "But you should be more careful about controlling your swing."

Pleased by his father's praise, Henry looked relieved he wasn't in more trouble. "I know, and I'm sorry. Aunt Reba, do you have another softball? We looked in the garage but we didn't find any..."

"You're the angel, right?"

Everyone turned to Savannah, who'd stared at Terry as soon as she came in. No one answered at first. "H-How do you know that, sweetheart?" Barbra Jean asked her daughter.

"Kids can always tell," Terry said, then turned to Savannah. "Yup, I'm the angel. Your parents and Aunt Reba told you about me?"

"Uh-huh. If you're really an angel, can you get the softball off the roof?"

Reba laughed and patted Terry's shoulder. "Looks like your work around here is never done."

* * *

By the time Terry used his abilities to "nudge" the softball off the roof, Kyra returned with recovering Bryce, bringing in the promised dessert. (The couple stopped at a closer bakery since they no longer needed to stall.) Reba and her family got through the entire dinner without anymore shocking revelations. Jokes were made about Terry's angel-ness, but no one pressed him for more details. Conversation stayed light through sheer willpower.

Reba struggled the most to force a casual attitude. Sitting at the head of the table, with Terry on the other end as the guest of honor, made it harder to keep her mind off the most pressing issues. Especially since it was now a given that he could read her thoughts if they were loud enough. Several times he smirked at her, letting Reba know he sensed her inner turmoil.

Frankly, it creeped her out.

Adam sitting next to her and holding her hand kept her sane until everyone cleared their plates. Her husband asked her about this when they had a minute alone in the kitchen. "What was up with you and Terry at dinner?" he asked.

"_He's in my head!"_ Reba blurted, the simplest explanation she could give him. "Something's going on, Adam. It's not just about the concert anymore...which is still a very big concern. All I know is, I'm more anxious now than before I asked my guardian angel for help."

They let the subject drop when the kids dashed through the kitchen towards the back door, rushing to finish their softball game. Only Elizabeth paused by her grandparents, letting the rest of the kids race each other out the backyard. "Grandma Reba?" she asked quietly.

"What is it, sweetheart?" Reba asked, instantly focused on her granddaughter. "Everything okay?"

Elizabeth nodded. "I'm okay, but I'm more worried about you. I mean, Terry's here. Is something weird going to happen again?"

Since Reba just expressed the same fear a second ago, she didn't feel right lying. "I'm not sure," Reba confessed. "We're taking things as they come right now. I promise though, no matter what happens, it's nothing you'll have to worry about. Terry has strange methods, but in the end, we're always better off."

Comforted by her grandmother's words, relief filled Elizabeth's face and she hugged Reba tightly. Reba returned the hug and wondered just how much her oldest granddaughter remembered from the past. After Elizabeth ran out to the backyard, Reba leaned on the counter and massaged her forehead. "I forget she's a young woman now," Reba muttered. "Henry's oblivious most of the time, but Elizabeth sees all. I've speculated more than once that she's actually the psychic one in the family."

"She has great instincts, but I wouldn't go right to 'psychic.'"

They looked up at Terry, who stood in the doorway. "Well, there's some concrete information at least," Reba retorted. "I suppose you have to go soon."

"Not yet. Since you insist you need my help with this, we still need to discuss the concert," Terry said with a shrug. "There are a few tips I could give you to help things go smoothly."

Adam raised an eyebrow. "So Reba's actions at this concert could change the past?"

"They could. And everyone else plays a role in this too, even you."

* * *

Terry waved them both into the living room, where the rest of the adults waited. They arrived to find Bryce standing by the door with car keys in hand. "Um, I know ya'll have business to discuss, so..."

"Sit down, babe." Kyra pulled him back over to the loveseat, where she sat down and tugged on his arm so he did the same. "I'm not missing this, so we can't go home yet."

"But..."

Terry nodded in agreement with Kyra. "Listen to her, Bryce. You're part of this too."

When Bryce's expression became even more scared, Adam sighed and put his arm around Reba's shoulders. "Brings back memories, doesn't it, hon?"

"Mhm. It's been a long time since I've freaked you out like that," Reba said, a wistful note to her voice.

"I'm still plenty freaked on the inside, don't you worry."

As they all settled in around the living room, Reba picked up from where they left off before the kids interrupted. "Look, Terry, I know you think I should handle this on my own, but if you don't mind me saying – that is a big load of _crap._"

Bryce raised an eyebrow while everyone else snickered. He turned to Kyra, who shrugged. "This is tame," she whispered. "Terry _is_ her ex-boyfriend. Sometimes history comes into play."

"Wouldn't want to be here during a thunderstorm," Bryce commented. At her puzzled stare, he mimicked God striking down the house with lightning. Kyra struggled to control her laughter.

Meanwhile Reba ignored them, too lost in her own rant to pay attention. "For more ten years I've been holding all this information without any idea what to do with it. You just...dropped me off in the future without warning, and expected me to deal! Even worse, now I have to make sure past me knows what she wasn't supposed to know in the first place!_"_

"So it's true then," Van whispered in awe. "Mrs. H actually does know everything. Even before it happens." He glanced over at her. "Is that how you knew I was gonna sell that house last week?"

Reba sighed. Honestly, she could tell by the buyers' interest, not precognition. But a little mystery couldn't hurt. "Yes. Yes it was." While Van's jaw dropped, she turned back to Terry. "So what've you got to say for yourself, huh? Did it ever occur to you that showing me the future could make the present a lot more difficult?"

"Oh, stop bellyaching," Terry retorted as his defense. "You're probably the only human being on the planet who'd complain about seeing the future. I meant what I said about you handling things well. You made it here, right?"

"Luckily for you," Reba muttered.

"And as for changing the past now," Terry continued. "It's not likely. You just have to make sure you don't reveal anything you didn't find out the last time."

"So you're saying Mom _could_ change the past?" Cheyenne asked.

Terry shrugged. "Potentially. There may even be additional information she wants to share."

"Seriously, will you stop being an instigator?" Reba retorted. "How is it you're both the good _and_ bad angel on my shoulders?"

Though Terry laughed, his expression was sympathetic and he offered an apologetic shrug. "Old habits die hard."

When her husband snorted, Barbra Jean raised an eyebrow at him. "What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Brock answered quickly, exchanging a smile with his ex-wife and Terry. "Just brought back a lot of memories. The question still stands, Terry - how the hell did they make _you_ an angel?"

Brock meant it as a joke, but Terry stared at Reba for a second before turning away. Reba caught on to the implication. "Oh my God," she whispered. "It's because of me?"

"Just a theory I've been kicking around," Terry muttered. He quickly returned to their original subject, again leaving Reba shaken and struggling to control her reaction. "Anyway, like I said, the small stuff won't matter. You just need to make sure the big stuff is all the same. Like, everyone you saw that night is present and accounted for."

A sigh of relief went around the room. "Well, that's not so bad," Barbra Jean commented. "As far as I know, we're all planning to be there anyway. Even the kids are coming."

"Yeah, who else was there, Mom?" Cheyenne asked.

"Just us and the kids, I think. Us and..." Reba's eyes widened, slowly seeing the problem. "Jake. Jake, Lori Ann and her husband. I can talk to Lori Ann, but Jake...wait, we're in the clear. That's his spring break. He'll be here the week after Easter anyway."

While Jake went to college, things turned out a little different than she'd seen at the concert. He went to a school in southern California specializing in video game development, not the college named on his sweatshirt. Reba was just glad the college senior had a direction in life after a rebellious phase in his early teens. She never thought too much about the sweatshirt, but she supposed it could've been a loan or a gift from someone else.

...like the date on his arm at the concert. Oh, crap, it was all coming back to her. What were the odds her son could convince his girlfriend to fly to Texas to see his country singer mother perform?

"On second thought, we may have a problem." Reba turned to Terry and asked, "How important is it that _everyone_ be there? I can explain things to Jake, but I saw him with his girlfriend. What's he going to say to her? 'It's real important you go to this concert, if you don't, life could change as I know it'?"

"Aw, Jakey has a girlfriend?" Cheyenne exclaimed. "How come I didn't know about her?"

Kyra smirked. "Well, all this would be a good test of the relationship. You need a strong tolerance for weird when you marry into this family."

"Amen to that," Bryce said, high-fiving his wife. Meanwhile, Adam exchanged a look with Reba and resisted the temptation to add his own commentary, laughter in his eyes.

"Oh, ya'll cut it out," Reba said, struggling to hold back a smile. "Seriously, Terry, how much of an issue is this?"

Terry hesitated, which instantly made Reba worry even more. "It's hard to say. Did Jake know exactly what you saw?"

"Of course not!" Brock answered before Reba could. "She laid down the law on that, too. No one could know anything about the future. No matter how much they begged, pleaded, and offered to pay her half of Jake's college tuition."

While her family expressed similar sentiments, Reba grimaced and looked down at the floor. _"Well..."_

_2013_

_Reba didn't know what to expect when her only son came home from California. While she'd spoken to him on the phone often enough, she hadn't seen him at all, and she feared the worst. What if he came home with his hair dyed a wild color and a completely different wardrobe? She'd still love him, she always would, but she didn't want him to change so much. Not when it took him all of high school to get his life on track._

_Much to her relief, Jake came home for Thanksgiving looking almost the same as when he'd left. If anything he'd started working on his "freshman fifteen" and seemed a little depressed. Reba tried to talk to him while he helped her prepare for Thanksgiving the day before. "So, um, how are your classes this semester?"_

"_Hard," Jake answered without needing to think about it. "Mom, let's face it, I wasn't a genius in high school. I only studied more because I needed the math and science to develop video games. I got by, but in college, it's not enough and everyone is smarter than me."_

Oh boy,_ Reba thought, her heart going out to her son. She wasn't sure how much she'd have to push to get him to talk. Apparently he'd been ready to burst. Taking a second to consider her words, Reba began, "It's funny, you know who you remind me of?"_

"_Cheyenne?" Jake guessed._

"_Her too," Reba conceded, remembering how her oldest struggled through college. "But I was thinking of Kyra."_

"_That makes no sense, Mom. Kyra's the smart one, and she never even went to college."_

_Reba shook her head as she continued chopping vegetables. "Hey, you're smart too. And as smart as she is, Kyra had the same insecurities you do. So you see, there are always going to be better students. The trick is blocking them all out and doing the best you can."_

_While processing her advice, Jake raised an eyebrow at her. "Kyra told you she was scared of college? That doesn't sound like her."_

"_Well, things were a little crazy at the time. Wish number two," Reba explained, and Jake nodded in understanding. She paused her chopping, a small smile on her face. "It's been a while since I've thought about that."_

"_Same. In college, I have to pretend I come from a _normal_ family. It's bad enough I'm from Texas."_

_Instantly offended, Reba put a hand on her hip. "What's wrong with Texas?"_

"_They call me 'cowboy' and say I have an accent."_

"_You don't have an accent!"_

"_According to them, I do." Jake sighed and stared down at the counter. "I'm never gonna fit in, and I'm never gonna graduate."_

_With the wish on her mind, Reba flashed back (or forward?) to the concert she saw in her trip to the future. Even though Reba believed in her "no future knowledge" rule, the dejected look on her son's face wore her down. Would it really be so bad if she told him what she saw? And it wasn't anything so amazing, really. Anyone could've guessed Jake would stay in college and have a girlfriend. "Okay, I'm gonna let you in on a secret, but you can't tell anyone. Especially not your dad. He's still offering to pay my half of your college tuition. As _incredibly_ tempting as that is, I can't risk it."_

"_Mom, what are you talking about?"_

_Reba sighed. "Remember my little trip to the future?"_

"_The one you won't share with us?"_

"_Yeah, that one. And thank the Lord there haven't been any others," Reba grumbled. "I'm gonna talk about it now, for you, so appreciate how big this is. When I went to the future...I wound up in 2017, four years from now."_

"_Whoa."_

"_You can say that again." Reba leaned on the counter, making eye contact with her son. "It was a concert. I saw you in the audience, wearing a college sweatshirt. Now why would you wear a college sweatshirt if you'd dropped out freshman year?"_

_Hesitant to believe her, Jake asked, "Maybe it was the only clean shirt I had lying around."_

"_Come on, Jake. You were going to a concert with your girlfriend. I like to think I raised a son who would treat a date with more respect...oh, good gravy..."_

_They both realized her slip at the same time. "I have a girlfriend?" Jake asked excitedly. "What does she look like? Is she hot?"_

"_Oh, gross! I'm not answering that!" Reba exclaimed. She didn't lecture him too much though, since he'd been single ever since his girlfriend dumped him senior year of high school. He'd had a long, lonely summer, moping around the house and worrying he'd never date again. Reba actually took this as a positive sign he was ready to resume dating._

"_But what was she like? Was...will she be...into me?" Jake paused, his brow wrinkled. "Man, this time travel stuff..."_

_Reba laughed. "You don't have to tell me. And I've given you too many details already. Knowing all this should at least help you through the semester."_

"_It does." Jake walked around the counter and hugged his mother. "Thanks, Mom. You always know what to say...even if it is really weird."_

"_Story of my life, Jake."_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Terry stayed about a half hour more after her story, explaining that her pep talk probably helped Jake through his darkest hours at college. Everyone offered their opinions, and by the next morning, Reba had a game plan. She needed to make sure Jake went to the concert with a date. On that same train of thought, Terry reminded her Lori Ann needed to bring her husband Seth. Reba most likely made some supportive comments when Lori Ann started dating Seth a few years ago.

So Reba planned to remind Lori Ann about the concert as soon as possible, then call Jake and stress how important it was that he bring his girlfriend. Reba sent up a prayer that Jake had a steady brunette girlfriend who would gladly fly to Texas for a concert.

Since she had the morning free, Reba impulsively drove to Lori Ann's house before her rehearsal session in the afternoon. Her schedule varied now that she was a full-time singer. Today, she didn't have to be at her rehearsal until late afternoon. If she left at eight in the morning, she easily could drive the two hours there and two hours back with enough time for the actual visit. Under normal circumstances she would never do this on a weekday, but well...did it really need to be said?

Reba needed to speak with Lori Ann in the worst way, and not just because of the concert. They were best friends (though for Reba, Lori Ann shared that title with Barbra Jean). All the events from the day before could not be summed up in a telephone call, not even a long one. Reba felt lingering panic from everything and would not calm down until she properly vented.

At around ten in the morning, Lori Ann almost jumped when she opened the door and found Reba standing on her condo's porch. "Holy hell, Reba! What in the world..."

"'Holy hell' just about covers it," Reba interrupted, chuckling at the perfect lead-in. She stepped into the townhouse without invitation and looked around. "Seth isn't here, is he?"

Staring at Reba like her best friend finally went over the edge, Lori Ann needed a second to answer. "He's at work, where normal people are Monday mornings. Seriously, who drops by without warnin' anymore? You drove all this way and I might not have been home!"

"Oh, stop it. You told me you usually have off on Mondays." Lori Ann managed a department store, so her schedule varied almost as much as Reba's. "And I'm here on a mission," Reba continued. "Think about it, 'Holy hell.' Who is the one not-so-living person we know..."

"Terry's _back_?"

"Yup."

"My God," Lori Ann whispered, closing the front door Reba had left open. "It's the return of your angelic ex-boyfriend. Honestly, I thought he stayed dead this time. We haven't seen or heard from him in what, ten years?"

The choice of words made Reba laugh again. Two minutes around her best friend, and she already felt better. "He is dead when we see him, you know. 'Dead' has a different meaning for him. In fact, I'd say Terry's had more excitement in his afterlife than most people experience their whole lives." They shared a laugh, then Reba added, "_I've_ seen him since then, by the way. His appearances were just...more subtle."

"You never mentioned it to me." Lori Ann moved towards the open kitchen area of her main living space. "Take a seat at the table, Reba. You had breakfast yet?"

"Barely. I could use more coffee and a second breakfast," Reba answered, taking a seat at the dining area table. The cookies and thermos of coffee she'd packed for her impromptu road trip didn't help much. She was starving.

"You know I hate cooking, but for you I'll attempt scrambled eggs and toast."

"I'm eternally grateful."

Laughing, Lori Ann began moving around the kitchen while Reba rested after the car ride. "Something always bugged me about the Terry thing," she continued conversationally.

"What's your pick? The fact that he's dead, he's an angel, or...well, does there need to be a third?"

"Yeah! Why's he haunting you? I was his friend too!"

Reba stared at her for a long moment. "You're kidding."

"I'm really not. We were close when he was alive, and God knows I wouldn't mind having a guardian angel." While she tried to seem casual, sincerity leaked into her words and betrayed her true feelings.

Debating how to handle this, Reba tried to imagine what would happen if her best friend had a guardian angel and a genuine wishing star. The idea made her grimace. Though equally deserving, it was doubtful that Lori Ann would show Reba's level of restraint. Reba kept this to herself and chose a different tactic when she spoke aloud. "Lori Ann...no offense, but you never listen to advice."

"And you're such a good listener?"

"You've got me there," Reba admitted. Odd how she kept circling around this particular issue. The truth was, she still didn't have an answer. "I honestly don't know what to tell you. Maybe it goes back to the coma, and being in a state of mind where I could see Terry. But he mentioned something about it at dinner yesterday and it's worrying me..."

In the process of cooking their scrambled eggs, Lori Ann glanced back over her shoulder. "Back up. You had your guardian angel over for dinner? Is that even allowed?"

"No one else beamed down to stop it," Reba answered with a shrug. "It was a very strange day. I finally asked him why _me_...and instead of brushing me off, he said there actually was a reason. That scares me more than anything because I don't know what it is yet."

"Wow," Lori Ann whispered. She turned off the stove, plated their breakfasts, and brought everything over to the table. After Reba helped her with the coffee, Lori Ann settled into her seat and grinned at her best friend. "So, the big question now is – how much of a freak are you?"

"Lori Ann!"

"It confirms my theory," Lori Ann continued, ignoring Reba's reaction and digging into her breakfast. "You always denied it, but face it Reba...nothing about this is normal. You ever meet anyone else who could invite their guardian angel to dinner?"

Reba sighed with annoyance, but she chose to start eating before her food got cold. The eggs were surprisingly delicious despite Lori Ann's supposed animosity towards cooking. "No," Reba eventually answered. "It's so frustrating because I never wanted any of this. My life was crazy enough before Terry came along. I mean, did you really envy me at the height of the chaos? Yeah, everything's great now, but..."

"More than great," Lori Ann pointed out. "Hell, Reba, you're a freakin' famous country singer. At the very least that required some divine intervention."

"I'm sure it did, but I never actually _wished_ for a singing career."

"And why didn't you? _That_ wish would've made sense," Lori Ann said. "Then again, maybe it wasn't meant to be a direct cause-effect thing. All the crazy stuff that happened put you on the right track anyway. Would Kyra have encouraged you so much if it wasn't for the Nell situation? What if you didn't have Adam to support you, or if you didn't learn how to manage your high blood pressure?"

The train of thought made Reba stare at Lori Ann in amazement. She'd never put it together like that before, too wrapped up in her emotions to see the whole. Stunned, Reba sat back in her chair, kicking herself for never giving Terry enough credit. "Oh my God..." she whispered. "How...how did I miss that? All these years... Why didn't you bring it up sooner?"

"I thought it was obvious," Lori Ann answered with a shrug. "You really didn't see how the pieces fit together? _Click-click-click?_"

"Is this the reaction of someone who knew all along?" Reba retorted, pointing to her dumbfounded expression. "I feel guilty now. Terry's smarter than he looks." She paused, glancing upwards. "We should probably stop talking about him. He's gonna hear us."

Lori Ann laughed. "Don't beat yourself up too much. Your career and your family make you so crazy, you can't keep your head on straight half the time. Just thank me for my part in it. One of the wishes was mine, after all."

"Shows you how time heals all wounds. I heard you were terrified after you made your wish."

"Adam ratted me out, huh?" Lori Ann grumbled. "Well, it's water under the bridge now, and miraculously enough everything worked out for the best."

"About that. There's a reason I drove here, and it's why I saw Terry yesterday." Reba let out a deep breath, preparing to tell Lori Ann something she'd kept inside for ten years. "Lori Ann, do you remember my little trip to the future?"

Lori Ann raised an eyebrow. "The one I've been bugging you about since it happened? Vaguely."

"Well, time is a funny thing..."

* * *

After securing Lori Ann's promise to attend the concert, and to make sure her husband Seth was there too, the rest of Reba's week went by way too fast. Reba wound up playing phone tag with Jake, each leaving several messages before they caught up early Saturday afternoon. In the meantime Reba's anxiety grew, making her paranoid she wouldn't be able to talk to her son before the concert. When her cell phone rang she ran for it, snatching it off the side table in the living room. "Jake?"

"_Hey, Mom, finally caught you. What's the crisis? Your voicemails got more and more panicky."_

"That's because I _felt_ more and more panicky," Reba retorted. She sat down on the couch with her phone, willing her heartbeat to slow down. "Jake, you're staying here for spring break, right?"

"_Yup, 'cause I'm broke and can't go to Hawaii."_

Reba rolled her eyes even though her son couldn't see her. A trip to Hawaii cost less starting from California, but it was the principle. Jake seemed to believe his mother singing career made them rich. While she'd finally paid off her debt and the house (another miracle), she wanted to her son to retain the work ethic he had before her career took off. "Don't start, Jake, and don't change the subject. There's a reason I've been calling you so much. I have a concert the weekend after Easter, and it's _very_ important you're there with your girlfriend."

_Jake didn't reply for almost a full minute. "Mom, how did you know I was seeing someone? I never mentioned dating..."_

"Thank God. She's a brunette, right? Kind of short, wears glasses? Hopefully loves country music?"

"_Now you're freaking me out. What's going on? Did someone tell you about Quinn?"_

"No, I saw her. Ten years ago. Do you remember when I told you about my trip to the future?" Reba pressed on when he didn't answer. "I saw you in the audience with her. The concert is coming up, and you need to be there. Otherwise that conversation we had four years ago won't happen."

_Again, Jake was quiet for a long time. "So the past would really change?"_

"Yes. Jake, listen to me. You _need_ to be at the concert that weekend, and you need to convince Quinn to go with you."

"_I can't! Mom, that's Quinn's birthday, and she's planning a big weekend with her girlfriends. She'll never go."_

"Crap!" Reba swore, her head in one hand and the phone in the other. "Well, surprise her with tickets to my concert! Say they're her birthday present!"

"_Oh yeah, that's just what she wants for her birthday. 'Surprise, Quinn! We're going to my mother's concert in Texas, where you'll also get to meet my whole family!' If that doesn't scare her off..."_

"Maybe you shouldn't date someone who scares easy," Reba pointed out, Kyra's comment in mind. "Jake, do you love this girl?"

_Another long pause. "I think I do."_

Even though she'd asked the question, Reba didn't realize how much the answer would surprise her. Jake, her baby boy, was in love with a woman he could end up marrying. "T-then reason with her," Reba said, quickly recovering. "Tell her it's an important concert, and you really want her to go. She needs to be there or your entire college experience might turn out different."

"_Maybe I should tell her about Terry."_

"You just said you didn't want to scare her."

"_But she is open-minded. If he's there to back me up, she might agree to go after I explain everything."_

Reba decided it wasn't the worst idea. She always told her kids to be honest, and it warmed her heart that Jake didn't want to lie to his girlfriend. "Can you trust her to keep the secret?" Reba asked.

"_I know I can. Besides, who'd believe her if she tried to tell anybody?"_

"Good point," Reba said with a laugh. "Alright, Jake, I trust your judgment. You have my blessing on this. I can try to contact Terry for you..."

"_Nah, it's okay, I'll call him."_

That was a shock. Reba needed to clear her throat before she could speak again. "Y-you...but..."

"_He's helped me out a couple times over the years. Same for Kyra and Cheyenne. It's really rare, but he'll answer our prayers sometimes. One time he told me to leave a party before the cops got there."_

Reba felt a wave of amazement and gratitude towards her guardian angel. "H-how come ya'll never mentioned this?"

"_I don't know, I guess it seemed like a personal thing. I wouldn't even know about Kyra and Cheyenne if he didn't mention it."_

Even though she wanted to discuss it further, Reba admitted she couldn't be that mad about being left in the dark. She didn't share every Terry experience with her family either...but then again, he was _her_ guardian angel. Petty jealousy sprung up for a second before she realized Terry probably only looked after her kids because of her. And really, did the reason even matter? She should just be grateful a higher power was looking after her children. "I guess we'll have a lot to talk about next time I see you," Reba finally answered. "Let me know how it goes with Quinn."

* * *

In the apartment he shared with his classmates in southern California, Jake hung up his cell phone after talking to his mother. As much as he always tried to fit in, he could never forget about his mother's guardian angel. Well, really, Terry watched over all of them now – and Jake didn't want to forget. He often felt conflicted, his desire to be normal warring with his belief in angels. Sometimes his interest in theology won out. The art he drew and the stories he crafted for video games usually featured angels and mythological figures.

Of course, when it came to designing angels, he stuck with the classic image of wings and a halo. As much as Jake liked Terry, he didn't see his mother's dead ex-boyfriend fitting into a fantasy landscape.

Speaking of which, Jake now had to figure out how to contact Terry. He'd assured his mother he could, but now that he really thought about it, he realized Terry always just...showed up at the right time. Alone in the common area (which looked every inch a student bachelor pad, with only a big couch, TV, and gaming systems), Jake closed his eyes to pray. It seemed like a good start.

Jake heard Terry's voice before he could come up with the first line. "I'll save you the trouble," Terry joked. "With everything going on, I'm pretty well-tuned into your family these days."

Laughing, Jake opened his eyes to see Terry standing next to him. "When _aren't_ you 'well-tuned' with us?" Jake asked, genuinely curious. "Are you watching over other families too?"

Terry smirked. "Not really, your mother keeps me pretty busy. Sometimes I'll get other short-term assignments though. But you didn't call me to talk about heavenly day-to-day operations."

"Wouldn't mind it. I'm interested."

"I'm sure you are, but angels aren't really encouraged to tell humans everything. There needs to be some mystery in the universe."

"You say that like the rules ever stopped you before." When Terry only gave him an exasperated glance, Jake switched back to the problem at hand. "Mom called me. She explained about the concert and that my girlfriend needs to be there. I thought about lying, but I think I'm gonna try the truth first. Then I'll lie if the truth doesn't work."

"Always a sound strategy," Terry joked. "But seriously, I'm glad you want to be honest with Quinn. This will set the tone for your relationship and get you started on the right foot."

The guardian angel's support made Jake pause. "What do you know about my relationship with Quinn? Do you know if we're going to last?"

Terry shook his head. "Come on, I can't tell you that, not even if I wanted to. Angels don't know everything either. Half the time I sound wise and all-knowing, I'm really talking out my butt and hoping ya'll buy it."

Jake laughed. "Just like my mom sometimes. I can see why you two used to date."

"I'm gonna tell her you said that," Terry retorted. "So, when do you want to introduce me to Quinn? Can she come over now?"

"Nah, she's on campus working on a project for class. I just wanted to make sure you'll hear me when I talk to her tomorrow. We don't have any plans, so I figure we'll have the day to work things out. Or she'll run screaming and I can spend the day playing video games."

Sensing Jake's underlying anxiety, Terry replied, "Look, I may not know everything, but I have a good feeling about this. I'm pretty sure Quinn won't run screaming."

Jake sighed, not looking forward to the next day. He liked Quinn a lot and didn't want to lose her over this. Despite what he said to his mother, he worried about Quinn's reaction. It was a crazy secret for anyone to process...even someone with an open mind. Finally Jake shrugged and gave the angel a hopeful glance. "Terry, from your mouth to Your Boss' ears."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

The week had flown by for Reba. That morning was Sunday again, meaning she had to cook since Barbra Jean prepared last week's family dinner. With the latest crisis and her stress level inching upwards, Reba decided to keep things simple. She started a big pot of chili on the stove to go with the hot dogs and burgers she bought the day before. Adam, Brock, Van and Bryce wouldn't mind standing around the grill on a nice spring day. She also grilled when the mood possessed her, but why bother when she had willing helpers?

As expected, she couldn't stop thinking about Jake telling his girlfriend about Terry. Would this girl accept everything? More importantly, would she accept it before the concert in a couple of weeks?

To calm herself down, she'd told Kyra to come over early and give her some opinions on the set list for the concert. As the other musician in the family, Kyra had become her unofficial manager, someone with a little more experience who could guide her. Reba definitely saw the irony in her daughter becoming her mentor, but it worked for them. Even after ten years, the music industry still overwhelmed Reba and she'd take support anywhere she could get it.

Kyra arrived around three 'o clock, but she wasn't alone. Brock stopped in with her. "Hey Reba," he said, stepping into the living room. "You hear from Jake yet? He called me yesterday after he talked to you and he sounded like a nervous wreck."

"Well, yeah," Kyra replied, plopping down on the couch. "He's telling his girlfriend about our family guardian angel. I'm _still_ worried about Bryce after last week. He won't stop asking about angels and God and..." She paused, glancing at her mother. "Finding out about Nell really freaked him out more than anything, by the way. He can't wrap his mind around the idea that your younger self existed in present day."

Brock smirked. "Been there. I try not to think about it too much. This stuff drives me crazy...which is why I'm concerned about Jake."

"I haven't heard from him yet," Reba said, letting out a deep sigh. "I hate this sometimes, you know. I wish I..."

"Don't!"

Both Kyra and Brock had interrupted in unison. Realizing they made a good point, Reba reconsidered her choice of words. "Oh, yeah. I've _wondered_ if our lives would be simpler if we were normal. If being part of this family didn't mean carrying around _my_ secret."

"Isn't that how all this started in the first place?" Kyra pointed out. "You wishing we were normal?"

Brock's eyes widened. "That's right, it did. Face it, Reba. None of us were ever meant to be normal. Whatever 'normal' even means."

"Yeah, maybe." Reba acknowledged it was useless to wish for, or 'wonder about,' an easier, less-stressful life. Didn't she learn that lesson more than once? She needed to appreciate her blessings, such as a family full of people who loved her and always wanted to be around her. "It's funny, Adam said me being 'not normal' is one of the reasons he fell in love with me."

Kyra and Brock laughed. "Hey, where is Adam?" Kyra asked.

"Oh, he went out to pick up some stuff for dinner," Reba answered. "I think he also might have to stop in the office for a minute to sign paperwork." Her social-worker husband mostly had regular business hours, but sometimes things came up on the weekend.

Brock frowned. "Oh, sorry to hear that, I wanted to see if he watched the golf game yesterday..."

"Adam doesn't watch golf," Reba interrupted, confused.

Looking sheepish, Brock threw up his hands in defeat. "Alright, you caught me, I wanted to talk baseball with him. I never watched but he's got me rooting for the Yankees now. Dang New Yorkers."

"Well, he's not here," Reba said with a laugh. "If you want, you can go fire up the grill."

"Beer in the fridge?"

"Of course."

"Alright, I can light up the grill. Let me know when Adam gets here."

Reba and Kyra shook their heads as Brock went into the kitchen. "Now _that's_ weird," Kyra said. "Dad and your new husband, a bromance for the ages."

"I know. What's even weirder is that Van gets jealous." Reba took out her notes about the concert, then went into the kitchen for a pitcher of lemonade and glasses. "Lemonade okay? And how are you feeling, by the way?"

"Lemonade's good. I'm the same, you know how it is...swelling, puking, all very rock 'n roll. As soon as this kid is born he or she is spending the first year on a tour bus. Very few live shows for me until then, and recording sessions just don't have the same vibe."

Reba chuckled as she came back into the living room with the lemonade. "Oh come on, becoming a mom won't make you any less rock 'n roll. I manage."

"You're a _country _singer, Mom. And all your kids were grown by the time you started singing. You won't have to worry about babysitters and spending time away and..."

"Kyra, honey, don't forget you've got us to support you," Reba said, putting a reassuring hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Things will work out fine, alright? This family has experienced more than our share of miracles. I'm sure we can handle yours."

Kyra smiled down at her stomach, then at her mother. "Thanks, Mom."

"Any time." Keeping her expression neutral, Reba asked, "Hey, speaking of miracles, seen Terry at all the last few years?"

"How did you..."

"Jake and I had a very interesting conversation yesterday."

* * *

She left him.

Well, not officially. She didn't break up with him. She just said she 'needed to think.'

For Jake, this didn't inspire much optimism. What if Quinn thought so much, she decided to _officially_ break up with him? The idea of losing her filled him with fear and dread, emotions he didn't expect to feel with this intensity. Sure, he finally realized he loved Quinn, just in time to lose her.

Quinn just ran out of the apartment not even five minutes ago. Jake stood in the common area with Terry, but he had no desire to play video games as he'd claimed the day before. He gave the angel a sideways glance. "Still have a 'good feeling about this'? She literally ran from the apartment."

"At least she wasn't screaming," Terry offered, his expression sympathetic.

"This sucks!" Jake exclaimed, not caring about language in front of the angel. He began pacing the apartment. "What was the point of this if she's not gonna be at the concert anyway? Explain that one! Why would she go to Texas when she's probably not even talking to me? I just don't understand. Maybe it's my fault for telling her the truth. I should have lied to her. All this is my fault because I misjudged what her reaction would be, right Terry?"

Shaking his head, Terry stepped in front of Jake to stop the pacing. "Jake, stop. None of this is your fault. You tried to do the right thing and that counts for a lot in my book. Now I don't know how this will all work out, but you need to have faith. Give her some time. She might come around."

"Yeah, right. She couldn't get out of here fast enough. That didn't look like someone who's coming back, did it?"

They both paused when a knock sounded at the door. Terry sent Jake a smug grin.

"No way, that's gotta be one of my roommates." Jake opened the door...and stared.

Quinn stood in the doorway.

"Y-you said you needed to think," Jake sputtered.

"I still do, but I got halfway towards my car and felt awful about leaving. You had such a heartbroken look on your face." Quinn moved past him and stepped into the apartment. She froze when she saw Terry. "You're still here. I didn't imagine all that."

"Nope," Terry confirmed. "I am proud to say I'm not a figment of your imagination."

Her eyes wide, Quinn turned back to Jake. "I'm sorry I tore out of here, but you have to realize how strange this is. Guardian angels aren't real! Or, weren't real, up until ten minutes ago! I'm still trying to piece together how this is possible. I mean...how far does this go back? Why you, why your family? There's so many questions."

"Well, it started about ten years ago, when my mom hit her head and ended up in a coma for about a week. Terry helped her out of it and he's been guiding her ever since," Jake said, looking to Terry for confirmation. "That's about it, right?"

Much to his confusion, Terry gave a noncommittal shrug. "Partly. A lot of things factored in."

Jake realized Terry was being vague on purpose. Given how overwhelmed Quinn already was, he decided to revisit this another time. "Okay then. Look, Quinn, you're right. This is absolutely crazy, and it's a lot to process. I went through the same thing when I was just a kid. But...I mean, it's not _bad._ Actually it's really cool."

"You're saying I'm cool?" Terry asked hopefully.

"I meant the concept of guardian angels, not you in particular," Jake teased. He became serious again and stepped towards Quinn. "All I'm asking is for you to stick around. I completely get it if you need time to accept this, but please don't shut me out. Mainly because I really like you and don't want us to be apart. But it's also _super_ important for you to go to my mom's concert in a couple of weeks."

Quinn stared at Jake for a minute, then let out a long sigh. "Right, the concert from your mother's trip to the future. Run that by me again? Once the shock set in things sort of faded in and out."

Jake laughed as he wrapped his girlfriend in a tight hug, which she returned with equal force. Then he glanced at Terry. "So, wanna help me out here? Sometimes I don't understand this stuff myself." He guided Quinn towards the couch, and the three of them spent the rest of the afternoon discussing Jake's family secret.

* * *

"You're here!" Reba exclaimed less than a week later, hugging her son as she dragged him into the house. "And I get to see you for a whole, entire week! As stressful as all this has been, at least there's a silver lining."

Jake laughed, sharing her happiness while he looked around the living room. He really had missed home. The months since Christmas felt like an eternity now that he was back. College kept him busy for the most part, but during the downtime, homesickness hit him when he least expected it. "Glad to be here, Mom," he replied with sincerity. "Feels like I've been missing a lot, especially with the latest Terry drama. Heard Bryce knows about him now?"

"Yeah, we've got two recent additions to our little club here, Kyra's husband and your girlfriend. Weird how that worked out." She indicated him to set down his bag and waved him into the kitchen. "Come on, have a seat, tell me all about Quinn."

Jake sat at the counter, just realizing no one else in his family was around to welcome him home. "Sure but, where is everyone? I know some people are working, but as for the others, didn't they know I was coming home today?"

"They did...and they didn't."

"Huh?"

"They'll be here in an hour," Reba explained sheepishly. "I told them your flight landed at three 'o clock instead of two. If that makes me selfish...well, so what? I'll get all the details before everyone else."

Jake smiled, surprised his mother lied to spend more time with him. Throughout his childhood he thought she always paid way more attention to Kyra and Cheyenne. Ironically, his years away at college made them closer. They spoke on the phone several times a week and she made sure they caught up during his rare trips home. "Well, you know what happened with Quinn," Jake began. "I told you last week she agreed to fly in for the concert."

"I know, but how did it go?" Reba took iced tea out of the fridge and brought over a plate of Jake's favorite homemade cookies. "If she's anything like Bryce, I imagine there was a lot of sputtering and she's still asking questions a week later."

Laughing, Jake reached for a cookie and tried to eat one before he spoke with his mouth full. "I was afraid she left me," he confessed, his words garbled as he ate. "She ran out of the apartment. Terry had to talk me down from a panic attack."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Fortunately guardian angels are pretty good at that from what I've experienced."

Jake paused, wondering if he should spill all the details when his mother would meet Quinn next weekend. He backtracked a little and tried to explain Quinn's side. "But I don't blame her. It's a lot to take in, and Quinn came right back because she didn't want to leave things up in the air. We spent the day talking about everything. That's why I didn't call you until later."

"So it all worked out after all." Reba shook her head in amazement as she sat next to her son. "I still can't believe we're _here. _Ten years seemed so far into the future, and let's face it, I never would've believed in my singing career if I didn't see it. Guess Terry knew what he was doing...mostly."

Her reply helped Jake remember Terry's passing comment from the week before. "Hey Mom, did Terry ever confirm why this happened to you? I remember the coma, but like, he mentioned in passing that was only part of the reason."

Reba stared at her son, her eyes wide. "What _exactly_ did he say, Jake?"

"That was it, I swear! What's going on?"

"I don't know!_" _Reba answered, exasperation in her voice. "Terry keeps dropping these hints and I can't put them together. He's implied more than once that this happened because of _me,_ because I'm..."

"Not normal?"

"Yeah. That word's come up a lot," Reba grumbled. "Frankly I'm starting to wonder if I want to know. Maybe I'll just wait and find out when I'm dead in fifty years."

As much as he didn't want to think about his mother's passing, Jake couldn't let the opportunity go. "Fifty years, Mom? Wouldn't that make you more than..."

"You finish that sentence and the plate of cookies goes away."

"Never mind then." Jake grinned at her while he quickly took three cookies from the plate.

* * *

_"Hey. Haven't seen you in a while, " older Reba said, giving him a brief hug._

_Once they broke apart Terry walked over to the other Rebas. "So which one of you am I taking home first?"_

_"Her," Reba answered before her younger self could protest._

_But she wasn't about to. Nell practically jumped for joy, shouting, "Yes!" Then she hugged both Reba and older Reba, waving good-bye as she disappeared with Terry._

_It was a quick good-bye, but Reba didn't mind. She'd already had that in Kyra's room. Besides, she knew there would always be a little bit of Nell inside her, even if she had to dig deep to find it sometimes._

_"Now that was corny," older Reba smirked, clearly remembering her thoughts._

_Reba chuckled. "I haven't changed a bit."_

Waking up from her dream (was it a memory?), Reba gasped for air as she reached for the bedroom light. What the hell just happened? Did she just remember everything, or did Terry throw her into the future again? The uncertainty had her heart pounding and sweat seeping through her pajama shirt.

Adam woke up as soon as the light turned on, then sat up when he noticed her distress. "What is it, honey? Are you okay?"

"I'm not sure. It's 2017, right?"

Though bewildered, Adam got his phone from the nightstand on his side and showed her the date. "According to my phone it is. Reba, what the hell is going on?"

"I think I might have time traveled again." Unable to relax, she got out of bed and began pacing.

Adam didn't know what to say at first. When he recovered, he slowly put his phone back on the nightstand. "You'll have to forgive me. I'm not used to middle-of-the-night time travel emergencies."

"Neither am I," Reba assured him. "The dream I had...it was everything I saw ten years ago. Exactly the same. Now that I'm calming down, I'm a little relieved because I wasn't sure I'd remember every detail before next weekend."

Struggling to process through his fatigue, Adam needed a second to reply. "Okay, keeping in mind it's after three in the morning, I wonder if maybe that was the point. That Terry sent you the reminder to, I don't know, prepare you."

Reba stopped pacing, then went over to kiss her husband. "I knew I married you for a reason. That's brilliant, especially at three in the morning."

"Thank you. Now come back to bed, please? We both have a busy day tomorrow...or, later today."

Frowning sympathetically, Reba patted her husband's shoulder. "I'm too wound up to go back to sleep, but you go ahead. I might as well go downstairs and see what I can start preparing for Easter dinner. Too bad I'm not cooking a turkey like on Thanksgiving – I'd have to be up this early anyway."

* * *

While she should've expected it, Reba was so tightly wound that she jumped when she saw Terry standing in her kitchen. "Did it ever occur to you that surprising someone with high blood pressure might not be the best idea? And on Easter morning too, what are you, the dang Easter Bunny?"

"Oh, come on, you should be used to me by now." Terry grinned at her as he took a seat at the counter. "Especially since I just sent you that dream. You know, Adam catches on quick."

Despite her annoyance, Reba smiled at the compliment towards her husband. "That he does. So, he was right? You sent me to the future again?"

"Yes and no. I sent you the dream, but I only brought back the memory from when you time traveled ten years ago. Since you said you didn't remember every detail, I wanted to make sure you did."

Reba stared at him for a second, blinked, and shuffled over to the tea kettle on the stove. "I can see I'm going to need something to clear my head. You want tea? I'm making myself a cup, and maybe adding some whiskey to it."

"I'll take some tea, but I'm obligated to pass on the whiskey. Boy, if there's one thing I miss..." Terry's expression became full of nostalgia for a second, then shook his head. "Well actually there are a few things I miss. But I'm not here to talk about me."

Pausing while she filled the tea kettle in the sink, Reba came up with a response as she brought it back to the stove. "We could talk about you. In all these years, you've never told me about...about dying. And what came before that. I'm so sorry we never reconnected while you were still alive. I saw you back when we broke up, but twenty years is a long time for me not to pick up a phone."

Terry waved a dismissive hand. "We'd both moved on, or tried to. I'll admit I thought about you more than I should have. Kind of ironic I would up seeing you so much after I died."

"Yeah. You never imagine spending your afterlife being someone's guardian angel, do you?" Shaking her head in amazement, Reba almost didn't notice Terry's slight hesitation and the anxiety that filled his eyes. The small movements were the last straw after a stressful couple of weeks. "Okay, what's _this_?" she demanded, moving her index finger in a circular motion in the air around his face. "Enough with the games, Terry. I want answers, and I want them now. You've hinted enough that you're hiding something from me. I'm not waiting for anymore hints."

Caught, Terry didn't answer for a second, clearly thinking of the best way to respond. The determined gleam in her eyes made him tell her the truth. "Okay, I guess it's time for you to know. Reba...you asked me what happened when I died, and I swear, I don't remember. I only remember afterwards." He paused, looking lost in his memories. Terry shook his head as he continued. "I won't get into the rest of it, but pretty soon after I arrived _up there, _I was asked to be your guardian angel. Which didn't surprise me as much as you'd think. Truth is...I also had a guardian angel when I was alive."

"What? You had a guardian angel too? How come I never heard about...oh, my God..."

The implication clicked. Stunned speechless, Reba slowly walked around the counter to face her guardian angel. With her hand on her aching forehead, Reba struggled to work through everything she'd been told. "G-good...good Lord. Y-you had a guardian angel when you were alive, like I do now. A-and...when you died, y-you _became_ a...I-I need to sit down."

She nearly fell into a kitchen chair and didn't move when the tea kettle whistled. Terry turned off the stove and sat down next to her. He continued his story, allowing her a moment to process. "For a long time I didn't believe my guardian angel really existed. I saw her for years, but just glimpses, and I never knew I'd become an angel until I did. You didn't hear about her because I never told another living soul. I thought I was crazy for almost my entire adult life."

"You were crazy, for many other reasons."

"Well you're cracking jokes, so you must be coming around." Terry smiled at her, and she managed a small one in return. "Then when I got sick, she introduced herself. She wasn't someone I knew who died. Our situation is pretty rare, even among guardian angels. For one thing she never showed me the future...though I guess at that point, I didn't have as much to see."

While interested to hear more of the story, Reba couldn't move past the shock. "So not only am I going to be an angel, I'm also going to die soon?"

"What? No! That's what you got from my story?" Terry sighed and put his hand on Reba's shoulder. He waited until she looked up at him. "I don't know when you're going to die, I promise. I just know what's going to happen after. And now, so do you." When Reba didn't say anything, her eyes permanently wide and the world getting blurry, Terry patted her shoulder as he stood up. "I'll pour you that tea. I'll even add the whiskey myself."

* * *

Reba barely got through Easter morning. She went through the motions in a daze, going to church with her family, setting up the egg hunt in the backyard for the kids. Her family noticed and took turns asking what was wrong, but she refused to share with anyone just yet. This was the kind of news she needed to process on her own first.

Why did Terry tell her this?

The question rolled around her mind constantly. Most people would consider her destiny a blessing, and she knew it was, but...why did she need to know beforehand? What purpose did it serve except to drive her nuts for the rest of her life?

If she were truly meant to be an angel, she'd be able to answer that question.

Lost in her thoughts, and struggling to focus on preparing appetizers, Reba almost didn't notice Barbra Jean enter the kitchen. Barbra Jean had volunteered to come over early and assist with meal preparations. Getting ingredients out of the fridge, Reba didn't acknowledge her until…

"Reba!"

"Oh, gosh!" Reba jumped and dropped the container of sour cream in her hand. "Dang it, Barbra Jean! Why'd you yell at me like that? I'm right here!"

Instead of snapping back as usual, Barbra Jean picked up the container for Reba and gave her best friend a concerned look. "I called your name a few times, Reba. You didn't respond, and you were standing at the fridge like you were cooling off on a hot day. What in the world is going on with you? And don't say nothing, because it's clearly something."

While her instinct was to evade the question, Reba realized she also didn't want to waste energy doing it. Being honest seemed like the easier, less-draining option. Besides, telling Barbra Jean might actually help. The blonde looked at things differently from anyone else Reba knew. Normally that annoyed Reba, but under the strange circumstances, Barbra Jean could be the best person to consult.

Reba would probably regret this.

"Barbra Jean, have a seat," Reba said, indicating the kitchen table. "I had a visitor last night, and it shook me up a little bit.'

Knowing she meant Terry, Barbra Jean sat down and joked, "Don't tell me, the Easter Bunny is real too? What's next, you find Santa Claus on your roof?"

"I wouldn't count anything out. But no, it was just my guardian angel, and he outdid himself this time. For one thing he's probably the only angel to ever serve a human tea and whiskey." Reba waited for Barbra Jean's reaction as she also took a seat.

Thrown only for a second, Barbra Jean shrugged. "Well, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. Didn't he own a bar when he was alive?"

Reba laughed for the first time all day. "That's exactly why I'm about to tell you what he told me." Becoming serious, she began, "It started with a dream Terry sent me last night. Actually it started last week when we saw him…" She went on to explain everything, from her conversation with Lori Ann about "the big picture" right up to Terry's revelation a few hours ago. It did feel good to tell someone, and she enjoyed shocking Barbra Jean into silence - something that did not happen often. "I've been so distant today because my head is on another plane of existence. I mean, what reaction are you supposed to have when you find out you're destined to be an angel? What...what do I do now?"

Overwhelmed, Barbra Jean could only stare at her best friend. "Y-you've never asked that question the entire time I've known you. Especially not to me."

"That's how rattled I am," Reba replied. "Why did I need to know, Barbra Jean? This is so typical of him. After all, we're talking about the angel who booted me into the future and left me to figure out the rest on my own…"

"Do you hear yourself?"

The stunned question halted Reba's rant. "What's your point, Barbra Jean?"

"Y-you…you just found out you've been chosen to be an angel. A real angel. And you're upset about it?" Before Reba protested, Barbra Jean held up a hand. "Now, hold on, I get it. It's amazing news and you're gonna have a lot to sort through. But can't you just...I don't know, be happy first? Enjoy it before you pick it apart? I would be...hah...walking on air if I found out I was going to be an angel. If I found out anything about my destiny. You've been given a gift, Reba. Maybe you're simply meant to treat it like one."

Well then. Reba leaned back in her chair, startled to receive a lecture from the last person she'd ever expect. The worst part was that Barbra Jean happened to be one-hundred-percent right. Reba tended to be pessimistic, particularly after the divorce, so it just wasn't her nature to look on the bright side. But it was a holiday, after all. She should save the emotional baggage for another day and embrace the celebratory atmosphere.

Confused to find tears in her eyes, Reba wiped them away.

"Oh my God, Reba, I'm so sorry, I…"

"No, it's not you. Y-you...you're right, Barbra Jean."

"Wow, you said that without gagging. I might start crying too."

The laugh they shared helped clear the air. "You're right because, once again, I was too wrapped up in my own thoughts to see the big picture. Thank you." Setting another record, Reba hugged Barbra Jean, and they both had a good cry before resuming holiday preparations.

* * *

After dinner, Reba sought out a moment for herself while her family cleaned up the dining room and kitchen. She sat on the front porch swing, her eyes on the stars and a glass of wine in her hands, her thoughts reaching beyond the stars.

She would be up there one day. Or down here, nagging someone like Terry nagged her. As much as she tried to take Barbra Jean's advice and stay in the present, her mind wandered all through dinner. Finding out about her destiny was like finding out she'd suddenly become immortal. Her life on Earth would burn out, but now she knew with certainty she'd have many, many more years after – even a clue of how she'd spend them. Meeting Terry in his current condition confirmed the existence of an afterlife, but learning about _her_ afterlife specifically...

The question she'd asked Barbra Jean still needed an answer. What was she supposed to do now? Reba's accomplishments in this life didn't mean nearly as much anymore, not when she'd make a _real_ difference in the future. How could being a singer ever measure up? She held benefit concerts whenever she could, and donated to charity regularly, but she still couldn't see it. What did she ever do in this life to deserve...a "promotion," for lack of a better term? What _could_ she ever do?

"Look, Barbra Jean, it's true! Every time a a glass clinks, an angel gets her wings."

Lori Ann walked onto the porch with Barbra Jean, both laughing as they took seats across from and next to Reba. Reba and Barbra Jean told Lori Ann the news since she also arrived to the house early. While the two blondes never became best friends, they declared a truce years ago and could at least spend an evening together. Lori Ann and her husband became a fixture at Reba's house for almost all major holidays, unless they visited Seth's family or went on vacation.

Too melancholy to think of a comeback, Reba sighed and let the joke pass. "How's it going in there? Need my help?" She'd fought to stay grounded most of the day, but despite her best efforts, she zoned out more often than not. Everyone continued giving her sideways looks as they had earlier. She suspected Barbra Jean and Lori Ann planned this so they could gang up on her.

"Don't worry about it," Barbra Jean replied, leaning back on the porch swing. "We cooked, so I told the guys and kids they were cleaning up. Brock tried to escape to the backyard with a beer but Adam put him on dishwasher duty."

Reba chuckled at the image, but her friends' attempt at a distraction didn't last long. "I'll have to tell Adam about everything tonight. I don't know if I'm ready. He'll be supportive of whatever my reaction is, but how can he do that when I'm not even sure? Maybe I should just wait until after the concert and we're past the current major crisis."

"I wonder if Terry told you this to keep your mind off the concert," Lori Ann said. "I'd say it worked. This is the first time you've mentioned it all day."

"Huh," Reba muttered, taking another sip of her wine. The argument had some merit. Terry often used unorthodox methods, so would this be any different?

"Never mind _why_ he told you," Barbra Jean argued, a note of eagerness to her voice. "The real question is, who would you want to be a guardian angel for? Hint: me! I mean, it's the obvious end result here. You already act like my guardian angel anyway, so it has to be a sign!"

Reba and Lori Ann rolled their eyes simultaneously. "What makes you think Reba's going to the Great Beyond first?" Lori Ann retorted.

"Yeah Barbra Jean, and if I get stuck being your guardian angel, I'm turning in my wings. Though spending my afterlife driving you crazy holds some appeal." Suddenly recalling a conversation from years ago, Reba continued, "I may not have a choice if God makes me keep my promise to haunt you."

While Barbra Jean grimaced, Lori Ann raised an eyebrow. "When did this happen?"

"Long story," Reba and Barbra Jean answered in unison.

"Oh come on, I gotta hear that one."

As she enjoyed time with her friends, Reba felt herself float back down to Earth. Her friends and family would help her stay in the present. Her life always revolved around them, so why should that change? And while they teased Barbra Jean, Reba wondered if she would be allowed to watch over her family. She might be able to see her grandchildren, her great-grandchildren...

A wave of sadness washed over her when she realized she could ask Terry this question. Who did he leave behind? He had a brother, but did he leave behind anyone else? Like a girlfriend...or maybe even a wife, a family?

Good Lord, did he have a child? What did Reba know about the last years of Terry's life?

"Reba? Hey, you in there?" Barbra Jean asked the question while Lori Ann looked concerned.

"Sorry," Reba answered, putting a hand on her aching forehead. "I was just thinking about Terry. Lori Ann, did you keep in touch with him at all before he died?"

Surprised, Lori Ann needed a second to think. "Off and on, mostly off. We drifted apart but once in a while we'd visit each other and reminisce. I see him more often now that he's dead...and frankly, that still weirds me out after so many years."

"Do you know if he was seeing anyone?" At her friends' perplexed glances, Reba explained, "I don't know, lately I've been feeling guilty that my current friendship with Terry is mostly one-sided."

Still confused, Barbra Jean replied, "Well yeah, I'd guess that's how it is with most guardian angels."

"But he's _not_ most guardian angels," Reba insisted. "He was...he still is my friend. We dated for a long time. With everything going on, I started thinking about who I'd want to watch over as an angel, and I realized I had no idea what his personal life was like before he died. Who he'd want to visit now if he could. There must be someone."

Shaking her head, Barbra Jean stood up and took Reba's wine glass. "You need to chill out, Reba. Tomorrow, go to rehearsals and try not to think about angels all day."

"For once, I agree with her," Lori Ann added.

"Maybe you're both right. And Barbra Jean, what are you doing with my wine glass?"

"Either getting you a refill or cutting you off. Haven't decided which yet."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Barbra Jean closed the front door behind her and let out a calming breath. She almost jumped when she realized her family was staring at her. Brock, Cheyenne and Adam stood near the kitchen doorway.

"Is she okay?" Cheyenne demanded. "What's wrong with Mom?"

"I..." Barbra Jean sputtered.

Recognizing traces of his wife's 'lying face,' Brock insisted, "You know what it is, don't you? Come on Barbra Jean, we're all worried sick. She's been a zombie the whole day and she lives for big family get-togethers. Something happened."

"It was Terry, right?" Adam said. "He sent her a dream last night, and I know he visited after."

Cheyenne nodded in agreement. "Yeah, with so much craziness going on, Mom's wound up tighter than I've ever seen her..." The blonde paused, glancing at her stepfather. "I'm sorry, Mom's guardian angel _sent her a dream?_ How does that even happen?"

"Come on, Cheyenne," Brock began, his tone half-joking. "Haven't you learned not to ask questions by now? Just let it pass."

"Probably a good idea, Dad."

Chuckling, Adam replied, "It was about the concert this Friday. I thought Terry would be able to calm her down about everything, but instead her nerves are through the roof, worse than they were before. Please, Barbra Jean. How can we help her?" When Barbra Jean refused to speak, terrified of betraying Reba's trust, his expression softened. "It must be big, so big she's not up to telling everyone yet. I guess we'll have to give her time." He stepped aside, freeing Barbra Jean from the impromptu intervention.

She ran through the small group into the kitchen, knowing what she'd do with the glass – have a drink from it herself.

* * *

During the week, Reba fought to concentrate on the concert, something she would have avoided only days before. Even her band and manager noticed her spaciness. Seeking a quiet place to reflect, Reba wound up back at church two days after Easter mass. She planned to light a candle for Terry and pray for guidance.

After consulting the church's schedule, Reba showed up hours before the next mass, hoping she'd be alone in the church. Even the most devout would raise an eyebrow if her guardian angel appeared to answer her prayers directly. (She was the only person who had to worry about God answering her prayers _too_ well. Ironic, considering she'd once called herself "The Queen of Unanswered Prayers.") When Reba walked into the church, she sighed with relief when the only parishioner there was Revered Yummy-pants...er, Parks. She didn't need to worry after all.

_2009_

_After everything she'd been through, Reba needed to talk to someone, and not a member of her family. A sane person who could reassure her that she wasn't completely crazy. Even better, someone who actually had expertise on the subject of faith and angels. Reba wouldn't tell Reverend Parks specifically about Terry though, since she doubted even a minister believed in angelic ex-boyfriends appearing out of thin air. _

_As it turned out, she should have had more faith._

_When she knocked on the reverend's office door, he waved her in and she sat in one of the guest chairs. Reba made sure she'd closed the door all the way before she spoke. "Reverend Parks, um, I really appreciate you seeing me today. I just needed to talk to someone, and as much as I love my family..."_

"_No explanation needed," Reverend Parks assured her. "Sometimes people just want to speak to a minister, and they all have their own reasons."_

"_I'm willing to bet my last paycheck you've never heard this reason before," Reba muttered._

"_And I'm supposed to advise against betting, but in this case, it's hard to turn down easy money." At her surprised glance, he made eye contact and rested folded hands on the desk. "Reba...I had a visitor before you came in today. His name was Terry, and he said there was a very good chance you'd want to speak with me about him."_

_Stunned, Reba leaned back in her seat. "I can't believe he did that."_

"_Neither could I, though in my case it was more literal. I'm still wrapping my mind around the idea that your guardian angel appeared to you – and then introduced himself to me. As a minister, I have to say this is definitely..."_

"_Insane?"_

_Revered Parks laughed. "I was going to say 'a miracle.' I...I'm in awe. I don't know what's harder to believe, that you're on a first-name basis with your guardian angel...or that, apparently, he's visited you many times over the years."_

"_For me it's the second," Reba replied, glad she could tell him everything without holding back. "You can't imagine what I've experienced. Well, more specifically, what the pain-in-the-rearend has done to me! His problem is he's never known when to quit. Now that he's got a little bit of angel power, forget it, there's no arguing with him..."_

_His jaw hanging slightly, Reverend Parks closed his mouth and began massaging his forehead. "Okay, I'm not the one with the guardian angel, but don't you think you're being a little harsh on a celestial being? Who can probably hear you right now?"_

_Reba shrugged. "We used to date. He's heard worse." Watching the reverend's eyes grow even wider, she quickly added, "Oh, uh, before the angel thing, back when he was alive of course."_

_Struggling to clear his throat, Reverend Parks finally commented, "Clearly I was not as prepared for this meeting as I thought."_

Since he found out her secret, Reba became friends with Revered Parks, often stopping by to chat when she needed to vent about life. He was a great listener who always balanced humor with words of wisdom. She didn't usually talk about Terry unless the angel happened to visit, but it was nice to know she could always ask Reverend Parks for his opinion on the latest drama.

They walked towards each other, meeting in the middle aisle between the pews. "Hi again," Reba said. "Uh, I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to say 'Happy Easter' on Sunday. We kept missing each other."

"Hazard of big holiday masses, you know? Always bring in the crowds." Reverend Parks returned her smile, but his eyes held concern. "Are you okay, Reba? Every time I happened to glance over at you during mass, you seemed like you were a million miles away. Wasn't sure if I should be offended or worried. Right now I'm leaning towards worried because you still look shaken up."

Reba sighed. "That easy to tell, huh?" She glanced around and whispered. "We're alone here, right?"

"Right. And by you asking that, I'm guessing you had a visitor recently who wasn't the Easter Bunny."

"Might as well have been, scared the crud out of me in the middle of the night. Least he could've done was leave some eggs for breakfast." When Reverend Parks laughed, Reba waved him over to the row of candles against the back wall. "Mind if I take a minute to light a candle first?"

"Mind if I ask who it's for?"

"The not-Easter Bunny." Reba put five dollars in the collection tin and reached for a long match to light a candle. "I make fun of Terry all the time, but he was...is_..._my friend." She shook her head. "Sorry, I never figured out how to refer to the dead when you see them all the time."

Reverend Parks paused. "It's okay, I imagine most people would have trouble with that."

They stood in respectful silence for a minute when Reba lit the candle. While the wick burned, she put out the match. "As much as Terry Holliway seems alive now...when he died, I never thought I'd see him again. I grieved for him. He was a friend, a boyfriend, someone who I'd once pictured spending the rest of my life with..." She smirked. "Now I probably will spend the rest of my life with him, just not like how I thought. But the point is, he died. He left people behind. More than ten years of this and I still don't know who else grieved for him when he passed."

"Reba...if he wanted you to know, he could have told you."

"Could he though?" Reba argued. "Angels have different rules than we do. Maybe he wasn't allowed to tell me. Then again, he wasn't allowed to do half the things he did, and he did them anyway. Watch, I'll be the one figuring which rule lets me see Elizabeth's grandchild, while he continues to do as he pleases..." She trailed off, realizing what she let slip.

Putting two and two together, Reverend Parks nodded. "So that's what this is about. Seeing Terry made you think about your own mortality. Naturally, you wondered if you'd become an angel like him."

"I haven't just been wondering. Terry confirmed it."

Leaving the reverend to process her confession, she sat down at the end of the nearest pew. Eventually he filed in and sat on her other side. Though he tried to project calm, she could sense underlying shock and awe."So, uh..." he began. "'Wow' might be an understatement here."

"Yup. Way past 'wow,' moved on to 'why me?'" Reba glanced over at him, wiping away tears that threatened to spill, again. She felt ready to burst all the time lately. "Terry told me by saying he also had a guardian angel when he was alive. I realize that this is a blessing, and I should be grateful, but I..."

"Reba, you've been through a lot. And I don't just mean this week." Reverend Parks leaned back in the pew, his arms crossed, his expression contemplative. "I've learned a lot about you over the years. You got divorced, remarried, saw your teenage daughter have a baby and make a family, forgave your husband's mistress and became her best friend...then on top of all that, you started a successful singing career." He paused for breath and made sure she was listening. "Most would've had a breakdown even before your guardian angel entered the picture. Reba, you're one of the strongest, most compassionate people I've ever met. I'm not the least bit surprised you're destined to be an angel, because frankly, you already are to a lot of people."

That did it. Tears streamed down her face. He stood to get a box of tissues out of a storage cabinet, and she offered a weak smile as she took the whole box. "Sorry, Reverend. Must seem like a strange thing to cry over."

He shook his head. "Not really when I'm getting emotional myself." The reverend sat back down next to her, this time at the end of the pew. "And let's be honest, all our conversations about angels are pretty strange. If anything this might take the cake."

"I just don't know what to do with myself now," she whispered. "This changes everything. It's one thing to have faith in an afterlife, but to know for sure..."

"Well, I can relate to that part. You and Terry did the same for me."

The tears slowed as she looked up at him. "But you're a minister. I'm sure you became a minister in the first place because you had faith."

"I did, but no matter who you are in this life, you always have those little nagging doubts," Reverend Parks explained. "I haven't experienced one of those nagging doubts since I met Terry, that's for sure. Life takes on new meaning when you know with absolute certainty that death is not the end."

Reba let out a deep sigh, feeling some of the anxiety in her chest loosen. "I'm so glad you were here. You're the only other person who could understand."

"Come on, you know that's not true. Your husband, your family – they've probably had similar thoughts over the years." The reverend sent her a meaningful look. She realized he was right, as he usually was during these talks. "If you let them," he continued. "I'm sure they'll help you find the answers you're looking for. And who says you need to answer your questions right away? 'Why me,' 'what do I do now'...maybe you're not meant to have the answers yet. Most people spend most of their lives questioning the existence of an afterlife. Maybe now that you've discovered yours, God gave you a couple more questions to puzzle out."

* * *

By the morning of the concert, Reba somehow managed to make peace with the universe. She told Adam everything soon after visiting the church. He'd patiently waited for her to share even though he was making himself sick worrying about her. By the time she told him about her destiny, he felt relief more than anything else, grateful he finally knew and they could work through it together. Besides (as he and everyone tried to tell her), it wasn't exactly a bad destiny to have.

Reba supposed she always knew this, but instead of congratulating herself, she became fixated on the present. Were there conditions that might change her destiny? What if she messed it all up with one thoughtless act? While she wasn't generally considered young, she still – hopefully – had a few years to go before she earned her wings.

On the other hand, as Lori Ann pointed out, Reba no longer obsessed over the concert. She just didn't have the mental stamina to add more stress on top of what she'd already been through. Terry had assured her it probably wouldn't change the past, so she reluctantly accepted that and prepared to get through this the best she could. All day long she repeated the dream in her head, hoping to memorize everything she said to her younger selves. She even bought the aspirin.

Amazing how the actual concert was the very last thing on her mind. She needed to remember the fans who bought tickets for this and expected a great show.

A few hours before the concert, family members began to arrive, as they all planned to meet up at the house before going to the venue. Reba put out some snacks in the kitchen when Kyra commented that she was hungry, again, even after having dinner at home. "I'm already over being pregnant," the singer grumbled. "It's hard to write songs when my two emotional states are 'hungry' and 'gotta pee.'"

"Gross," Jake commented, putting down the chip he'd been about to eat.

Cheyenne laughed. "It's true, Jake. Pregnancy is nine long months of a baby snuggling up right next to your bladder. Kyra's lucky she's only a few months pregnant, or she probably wouldn't be able to sit through five minutes of Mom's concert."

"Ew!" Jake exclaimed, pushing back from the kitchen table. "You two are trying to ruin my appetite, aren't you?"

"Well yeah, then there's more for me," Kyra explained, picking up the chip her brother dropped.

Leaning on the kitchen counter, Reba watched her three grown children, thinking about how she should appreciate this moment. The three siblings rarely spent time together alone like this, without significant others around. It brought back so many memories of them as kids, teasing each other after coming home from school and reaching over each other for snacks. They could have been twenty years younger right then...if, of course, Kyra wasn't pregnant.

Cheyenne glanced up at her mother and wrinkled her brow. "You okay, Mom? You tend to space in and out these days, and right now you're kind of on your way out."

"Oh, sorry, I'm just an emotional mess lately," Reba said, sitting down at the table with her children.

"I'd say that's understandable," Kyra replied. "It's not every day you find out you're going to be an angel. Think there's really a heavenly choir? You'd be a shoo-in."

Reba laughed. "The twisted part is I had the same thought, and I was serious about it."

"Did you add it to your list?" Cheyenne asked with a chuckle.

Becoming suspicious, Reba raised an eyebrow at her. "What list?"

"This one!" Cheyenne reached over to the table by the divider window, victoriously holding up a Steno pad with "Questions for Terry" written across the top. Sure enough, "Choir?" was an item near the bottom of the list, right below the line "Wings/halos – real?" Cheyenne passed it to her siblings, and they all teased their mother for a minute before they bothered asking for an actual explanation.

Jumping up from the table, Reba reached between them and grabbed the Steno pad out of Kyra's hands. "Hey, that's enough you three! Can you really blame me for wanting to do my homework on this? I did the same thing before I became a real estate agent."

"What about being a singer?" Jake asked.

"There were lists then too," Reba assured him. "And in this case, it's not like I can research online or buy a manual. Terry's my only source, so when this concert is over, I'm dragging his butt back down here and making him answer all my questions. No matter how dumb they are."

Kyra nodded, acknowledging her mother's point. "Okay, okay, I guess it doesn't matter what you do as long as it makes you feel better." She paused, serious concern in her eyes. Cheyenne and Jake's expressions revealed similar anxiety "You do feel better, right? Easter was really weird this year, and Jake told us you barely said a word for a few days after. Now you seem like your old self but..."

Touched that her children worried so much, but also feeling guilty she'd caused them distress, Reba gave them each a tight hug. "I love ya'll, you know that? So, so, much, and I'm sorry the past weeks have been pure insanity."

"Oh, it's okay," Cheyenne replied with a small smile. "We accepted the insanity part when we found out you regularly talked to a dead guy."

Reba crossed her arms while her other children laughed. "Funny, Cheyenne. Heard you, Kyra and Jake talked to the same dead guy plenty over the years. When were ya'll going to tell me that Terry watched over you too?"

Cheyenne shrugged. "It's not the type of thing you blurt out over family dinner. I mean..." She hesitated with downcast eyes. "I'm not exactly proud that I needed Terry to stop me from having a drink after a really tough counseling session. But he did." Cheyenne switched careers from dentistry to a drug and alcohol counselor, developing a successful career and often joining forces with social worker Adam. "Actually I've seen Terry often because he's helped with my patients. I guess...I guess it makes up for not getting my own wish. Not that I really have much to wish for anyway."

Feeling teary-eyed yet again, Reba wrapped Cheyenne in another hug. "Well, I guess I can't be too mad at ya'll after that."

"Good job, Cheyenne," Jake said, high-fiving his oldest sister.

"Alright, I think we've had enough fun," Reba said, clearing some dishes from the table. "Help me clean up and we'll start heading out to the venue. Jake, is Quinn on her way?"

"Yeah, her flight was late. She should be here any minute."

As they tossed out their paper snack plates, Kyra glanced over at Cheyenne. "You really wouldn't wish for anything?"

"Well, nothing _big_. But I wouldn't say no to a new wardrobe, a new car, also one for Elizabeth since she's sixteen this year...then maybe a vacation house..."

"Cheyenne!" her mother chided.

"What? Kyra asked!"

* * *

The next few hours went by in a blur. Reba and the family met Jake's girlfriend when she arrived at the house, but they didn't have much time for small talk. (While Quinn seemed lovely, Reba suspected the girl was relieved to arrive in the middle of chaos since it took attention off her.) With Quinn tossing her bags in the living room, the family piled into cars and drove to the concert hall. Reba quickly hugged her family, fighting the nerves she'd had in her stomach all day, and went backstage to get ready.

On the bright side, she didn't have time to think about the impending time warp. She could only focus on the present. Finally allowing herself to enjoy the concert, Reba relaxed and concentrated on the music. Her mind cleared for the first time since finding her dress in the department store. She even managed to have _fun_ as she belted out songs she'd created. Standing under the lights, looking out at her family, Reba remembered why she loved this...why everything she'd been through was undoubtedly, absolutely worth it.

She'd become so wrapped up in the concert that she didn't see it coming. Her face flushed from the heat of the lights, Reba stepped backstage after finishing a song, smiling at the lingering applause. Instinct made her pause and glance through a break in the curtain. She smiled at the sight of her family and thought Adam smiled back. Just to be sure, she'd already told him where to look so her younger self would make eye contact with him.

Then, as she looked around for water...it happened.

Her past appeared right in front of her eyes. Ten-years-ago Reba and teenage "Nell," staring with wide eyes, invisible to everyone except her. While it was an odd thing to focus on, Reba realized how fortunate they were that the backstage crew just _happened_ to ignore her, too far away to see the star talking to thin air. Little did they know she was actually talking to herself.

When Younger Reba stared at a poster on the wall, Reba snapped out of her shock and recalled that it was her line. "Stage name. Kyra wouldn't let me use my own name, God forbid a fan or two of hers made the connection to a country singer."

She stumbled through the memorized dialogue, biting her tongue when her younger selves took it for granted she'd remembered every second of this meeting. Let them think it was just that easy. Let them imagine she lived a mostly normal life except for this one encounter. If her past self knew half of what was coming...well, it was better she didn't. Her past self needed to adjust gradually, to accept what she'd been through, even to accept Terry's presence in her life.

As Younger Reba stepped up to the stage curtain, Reba held her breath in anticipation. This was it. Nell caught her eye and seemed curious, but she didn't question "Older Reba's" nerves. Reba appreciated this since the last thing she wanted to do was say something different and ruin everything.

Funny how she'd projected such a different image to her younger self. "Older Reba" had acted cool and confident, their meeting almost casual. Younger Reba never could have imagined the strength it took to hold herself together. But again, it was better that way, and so important for Younger Reba to go home with this image. For Younger Reba to feel like she would finally figure out her life in ten years.

Yeah, right. She almost wanted to warn her younger selves, but then again...was it so bad, really? What would she do without more problems to solve, more questions to answer?

Life was not meant to be boring.

Reba sighed with relief when her younger self turned away from the curtain and told Nell what she saw. Watching her younger selves celebrate her accomplishments turned out to be the most bizarre aspect of this encounter. Any time she ever doubted herself, she only needed to remember this feeling, when her younger selves cheered her on.

Then the world stopped. Terry arrived to take Younger Reba and Nell home. While she needed to follow the script, Reba's reaction felt natural as she greeted Terry with a hug. She'd thought about him a lot lately (in addition to speaking with him often) and made peace with everything that happened. They would need to talk more after this, and not just about her destiny.

"Hey. Haven't seen you in a while," Reba joked. She paused, surprised, realizing her younger self would take this literally. Again...probably for the best.

Terry smirked, as if he knew what she'd noticed. They moved on and Terry took Nell home. Remembering Younger Reba also had some sentimental thoughts, Reba smirked at her, appreciating this brief moment before Terry returned. She actually did recall standing in that spot. While she was more focused on the future these days, Younger Reba had struggled to take pride in her past and use it to change her present.

"Now that was corny," she said, both to herself and Younger Reba.

Younger Reba chuckled. "I haven't changed a bit."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

The concert was such a success – on every level – that Reba invited everyone back to the house for a spontaneous after party. With the kids sleeping upstairs, the family sprawled out over the living room, recapping the night and listening to the details of Reba's strange encounter. Poor Lori Ann had to go home early since her husband didn't know about Terry. While Reba accepted telling Bryce and Quinn out of necessity, she had to draw the line somewhere.

Despite her nerves, Quinn fit in with Jake's crazy family just fine. Reba often caught the two college students holding hands or sharing a kiss when they thought no one was looking. If Quinn could adjust this well, Reba had high hopes for her son's current relationship. Maybe wedding bells would ring sooner than expected for her youngest child.

Family members started to leave the party well past midnight. Cheyenne and Van were the first ones to head home, herding sleepy children to the car. Brock and Barbra Jean followed suit with their kids soon after. The remaining couples – Reba and Adam, Kyra and Bryce, Jake and Quinn – wound up sitting around talking until the clock neared two in the morning. At that point Kyra and Bryce decided to stay over in her old room, while Jake suggested Quinn stay in his with him. Reba cringed at the thought of Jake sharing a bed with his girlfriend, but well, could she really make an argument when seventeen-year-old Cheyenne once shared a room with her husband?

Fortunately Quinn had more tact than her boyfriend and insisted on taking Cheyenne's old room.

As everyone began to head upstairs, Reba made a point of hugging Quinn and expressing her gratitude. "I know I said it earlier, but...thank you so much for being here. You have no idea how important this was. Actually you do, since we've been talking about it all night, but it's even more than that. You believed in my son so much you flew halfway across the country for him."

Quinn's face turned a deep shade of red, but she smiled at the compliment. "Anyone would've done the same thing. When an angel tells you to do something, it's hard to say no."

"Difficult but not impossible," Reba grumbled, making Quinn laugh. "But that's not true, a lot of people wouldn't have done what you did, or been so gracious about it. Jake said this was your birthday weekend. I'm so sorry you had to give up your plans."

Quinn shook her head. "No, really, I should be thanking you. Jake trusted me with his biggest secret, plus I get to believe in angels now. Best birthday ever."

"Glad to hear it, but I promise we'll have cake before you leave." Reba smiled as Quinn went upstairs. Then she hugged her son when he also passed by to go up to his room. Jake returned the hug with more force than expected, clearly hearing what his mother said to his girlfriend.

When Reba returned to the couch, Bryce had gone upstairs, but Kyra needed a minute to work up the energy to leave the couch. "I might as well sleep here," she muttered.

"Bryce didn't offer to pull you up?" Adam asked.

"I told him to go ahead. They're all going to need the bathroom, so I figured on waiting until the coast was clear. The plan was to head straight to bed from the bathroom without any delays." Kyra frowned. "Rock 'n roll, my big pregnant butt. Non-pregnant me would be heading out to another party after Mom's lame after party."

Reba narrowed her eyes at Kyra. "Hey, we had fun! And it's not like I could invite more people given the, uh, sensitive nature of the party theme."

"Still a big party," Adam noted. "Your little club here has grown. Bryce and Quinn bonded over being the newbies."

Kyra nodded. "Quinn's got nerves of steel, which I guess is necessary for going out with my brother. Wish I could say the same for Bryce though. He nagged me all night, insisting Quinn _had_ to know before him because she seemed so calm about everything."

"I'm just relieved everyone was there," Reba said. "When my younger self looked out through the curtain...I swear I forgot to breathe."

"It must have gone well. Nothing's changed, as far as we know," Adam assured her.

Kyra smirked. "Unless we wake up tomorrow in a completely different reality."

"That joke isn't so funny when you've experienced it before," Reba reminded her.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. I'm sure everything's fine, Mom." Kyra finally attempted to push herself off the couch, but she fell back and let out a sigh of resignation. "Hey, um..."

"I got you." Adam gave his stepdaughter a hand up from the couch, making sure she was steady on her feet before he let go.

"Thanks, Adam. See you in the morning." Kyra hugged him good-night, then hugged her mother with the same force her brother had. "The concert was amazing, Mom. I'm really proud of you – for the concert, and for doing what you had to do. Don't be so surprised about the angel thing. No one else is."

Speechless, Reba could only return the hug, looking on with an equal amount of pride as Kyra slowly trudged up the stairs.

"She's right, you know." Adam put an arm around his wife's shoulders, using his other free hand to hold hers. "I was thinking earlier...this family is here just because you held us together. Your ex-husband and his new wife, your oldest daughter who married her husband when she was a teenager...they're happy now because of you. It's way more than just us. The amount of people you help and guide continues to grow years later. And you're really surprised by all this?"

"Ya'll are determined to make me cry again." Reba tried for a joke, but she felt the tears and quickly wiped them away.

Adam kissed her, then began to pull her towards the stairs. "Ready for bed?"

"Oh, I'm exhausted, but my mind's still wired. I'm going to straighten up down here for a while and meet you up there."

"Okay, as long as you're alright. Love you."

"Love you too."

* * *

With her family in bed, Reba paid no attention to the time as she gathered the glasses that had been left on the coffee table. Attempting to sleep wouldn't do any good. The concert, and everything that went along with it, gave her enough to think about for the next ten years.

She still couldn't get past the question of "why her?" Her husband tried to answer it earlier, but to Reba, it didn't sound like enough. Adam, Cheyenne, Reverend Parks...they dedicated their entire careers to helping others. Why didn't they have guardian angels instead of her? At least _in addition_ to her? She was a singer, for crying out loud. A singer, a former real estate agent, a former homemaker who volunteered at a homeless shelter once in her life – and that was because she'd been lonely on Christmas Eve.

After she put the glasses in the dishwasher, Reba came across her "Questions for Terry" list. They all seemed so important a few days ago. Now she kept circling back to only one.

Reba ripped off the page, crumpled it up, and tossed it in the garbage.

The blank page underneath gave her an idea. She sat on a stool, putting the notepad on the counter.

"Terry?" she asked into the empty kitchen. "You still around? I know this might be a long shot since the concert's over, but I would like to talk to you. Don't worry, I'm not gonna bug you with endless questions about being an angel, although it would be understandable if I did. I just want to talk. You're my guardian angel now, but we were friends once...and I like to think we still are."

"Well, this is a switch."

Reba smiled at Terry when he appeared near the kitchen table. "Are you referring to me inviting you here, instead of you scaring the crap out of me in the middle of the night?"

"Yeah, kinda. You're not usually this nice to me after I've messed with your life." He tried to give her a casual grin, but she saw apprehension in his eyes, clearly trying to figure out if she was sincere.

Holding back a laugh, Reba patted the stool next to her. "Come on, I won't bite." She picked up the notepad, holding it in her lap while she spoke. "Something just occurred to me before. I've been so obsessed over 'why me,' but...I may never know the answer, at least not in this lifetime. It's easier to focus on doing something for you."

"Like what?" Terry asked, confused. "I know what I said about the future, but I'm still the guardian angel in this friendship."

Reba slid the notepad over to him. "And as the human in this friendship, I do have some abilities you don't. Such as passing on a letter to your brother...or anyone else you had to leave behind. Start writing, Terry Holliway."

To her surprise, Terry leaped out of his seat as if she _had_ bitten him. He sputtered for a second until he found his voice. "A-are you crazy, woman? This breaks _so_ many rules!"

Reba chuckled. "I learned from the best."

"This is _different!"_ Terry exclaimed. "Reba, I'm honored you'd even think of helping me this way, I really am. But we're talking about the dead interfering with the living..."

"You do it to me all the time!" Reba argued, not understanding his point.

Terry shook his head and began pacing the kitchen. "Again, that's _different._ I'm _allowed_ to interfere with your life because I'm your guardian angel...and I admit to pushing limits even then. I'm _not_ allowed to speak with anyone I knew when I was alive."

"So I won't be able to either?" Reba asked quietly.

Compassion in his eyes, Terry answered, "I'm sorry. It really stinks. If anything you can watch over loved ones, sometimes get away with _very_ vague signs, but that's it." Still, he gave the notepad a longing glance. "Besides...what would you even tell Mike? You contacted my ghost and took down a detailed message?"

Reba smirked, realizing she was wearing him down. "Of course not. Write the letter like you did when you were sick. You wrote a letter to me and Brock, remember?"

"Yeah, and I already wrote one for Mike. What would this be, part two?"

"Why not? It's believable. And you must have something new to add. I bet you've been checking in on him, even if he couldn't see you." Terry's silence confirmed her accusation. Thinking of her next argument, Reba smiled at a cherished memory. "I'll call Mike and tell him I found the letter tucked into the stuff you left me in your will. Thanks for the records, by the way – you remembered 'Tapestry' was my favorite. I sang 'So Far Away' for you at the bar."

"You're welcome, and I heard." Overcome with emotion, Terry stared down at the floor, then forced himself to look up at her. "This is why."

"Huh?"

Terry took a step towards her. "This is why you're meant to be an angel. Because you're _you._ Good deeds in life do count, but they're not the only factor. I mean, if they were, do you really think _I'd_ be one? Shoot, Reba, I owned a bar. You saw firsthand I wasn't a saint."

"So this has been bothering you too, huh?" Reba stood up from the stool and went over towards him. "Last week, you said you thought you were an angel because of me. Maybe there's some truth in that, I have no idea. But I _was_ there when you owned a bar, and you know what I saw? A smart, caring, funny friend who loved giving his customers amazing life-changing advice. The whole town respected you. How many people went to your funeral? Come on, I was there, so don't be modest."

Terry grinned. "The church was standing-room only."

"Darn right it was! Most of those people couldn't believe Brock and I had the nerve to show up..." Reba grumbled. "But there were a lot of them. And don't forget, I fell in love with you while you owned that bar. I must have seen someone pretty special."

"Not as special as Brock..."

"Okay, I walked into that one," Reba conceded. "But you do get what I'm trying to say, right?"

"Yeah, I do. Thank you, Reba." They hugged, both friends overwhelmed by memories. Terry glanced back at the notepad as they broke apart. "And I'll think about writing a letter. I know it's late and all, but before I go...are you up for another trip to the future?"

Was he serious? She must have misheard him. Reba stared at Terry with wide eyes. "I must be really tired, because I swear you just asked..."

"I've been thinking about it. You made it this far, so I figure you deserve another go." Terry held out his hand to her. "And I'm asking you first since you were upset I didn't ask last time. Reba, are you in?"

Reba stood there, gaping at his outstretched hand, incredulous he would do this to her again after what she'd been through the last ten years. Reaching the concert meant she could finally live her life _without_ any knowledge of the future. Didn't she spend the last few weeks going out of her mind because of what she saw ten years ago? What sane person would put themselves through that again?

But could she really call herself a sane person? She just gave a pep talk to an angel.

Reba took Terry's hand before she lost her nerve.

* * *

_2019_

Reba appeared in the vestibule of a church. She instantly recognized it as her own. Stepping towards the door, she stopped when she looked around and realized she was alone. Then she remembered Terry sent her own her own last time too. (She'd been with Nell, but did Nell technically count as another person?) Eager to know when she'd ended up, Reba looked around for clues before she entered the church. She found it on the front page of the weekly bulletin. A stack of them sat on a small table near the door. Bracing herself, she looked at the top pamphlet.

_April 2019. _So Terry only sent her ahead two years. This worried Reba a little. Did this mean she didn't have ten or twenty years ahead of her?

Forcing herself to focus, Reba cracked open the door, not wanting to interrupt in case a service was going on. Part of her hoped to find Reverend Parks again. Wouldn't it be a kicker to tell him she'd visited him from the past? Shocking him speechless had become a favorite hobby of hers. As it was, she wondered if she should grab a bulletin to surprise him when she got back.

Reba warned herself against the idea and poked her head into the church. She'd crashed a wedding, apparently. Guests packed the pews and decorations hung on the walls. Groomsmen in tuxes and women in flattering pink bridesmaids' dresses stood at the altar. Reverend Parks was there performing the ceremony. The couple getting married looked young, both dark-haired, the woman in a beautiful white beaded dress...

Hold on. She recognized the couple. Actually, she recognized almost everyone at the altar.

Jake and Quinn were getting married.

"Oh my Lord," Reba whispered, a hand over her open mouth as she scanned the church. Her family filled the front rows...or at least, the few who weren't in the bridal party. Kyra, Cheyenne, Van, Bryce, even Henry and Elizabeth – they all stood with the couple. Alexis sat with her grandparents, Rocky and Savannah, wearing a flower girl dress and still holding her basket.

Wait, was that _Terry_ sitting with them? As a guest? Talk about bending the rules. Hopefully none of her and Brock's old friends recognized him.

Speaking of bending the rules, members of the bridal party began shifting their eyes towards the doors where Reba stood. No one in the audience noticed, and the couple getting married kept their eyes on each other, but she'd definitely been noticed. Or remembered.

Suddenly she realized she didn't see herself. Where was...

"There you are. Since I knew you'd be here, I thought I'd at least say hi."

Reba jumped when her older self stepped into her line of vision. "Did you have to sneak up on me like that? You know we have high blood pressure! And what if someone sees the two of us here?"

"I asked Terry about that once. In these situations, there's a certain...blind faith. No one ever notices." Older Reba turned back to her son at the altar, unable to dim the huge, beaming smile. "They're all so beautiful, aren't they? Jake's so handsome, and Quinn looks..."

"Like an angel?"

Older Reba laughed. "None we know, but yeah, like an angel."

"I'm sorry I interrupted the wedding," Reba blurted, realizing what she'd done. "You should be up there watching every minute, not standing here talking to me. And I'm sure the weeks leading up to this moment weren't fun either."

Shrugging, Older Reba didn't seem to mind. "I've learned to roll with things like this. I'm not missing the wedding, it's right here. And it's important for you to know how happy I am."

The choice of words made Reba pause. "Why?"

Older Reba shook her head, indicating the question couldn't be answered just yet. "Now go on, you've got somewhere else to be."

"Five more minutes, I wanna hear the vows."

"Oh, fine, but don't start crying on me. I've been crying enough for the both of us, so there aren't any tissues left in this entire church." The two versions of Reba continued watching the ceremony, holding back tears of happiness as their youngest child got married.

* * *

_2022_

Leaving as her son kissed his bride, Reba's thoughts were too focused on the ceremony to worry about when she'd wind up next. She only paid more attention as the world reappeared around her. Recognizing her surroundings, Reba's eyes widened. She never knew what to expect in these situations, but...why was she in the past?

She stood in her house, in Cheyenne's old room, only it now functioned as a nursery. She immediately thought of when Elizabeth was a baby. But Reba looked closer and recognized that things weren't the same as before. For one thing, the entire color scheme was in blue, yellow and green.

And a six-month-old boy slept in the crib.

Reba gasped, then put a hand over her mouth, scared she might wake the baby. Whoever he was. Jake and Quinn's son? She just saw the couple get married. But while it seemed most likely, she didn't want to draw any inaccurate conclusions. The baby might also be Kyra's. But why would Terry send her two years into the future, only to bring her back here?

Then again, could she ever figure him out?

Reba began looking around for clues. There had to be a picture of the baby and his parents. Spotting picture frames lined up on a table, Reba squatted down to examine them. There was one of herself and Adam holding the baby, Brock and Barbra Jean holding the baby, Cheyenne and Van...yes, holding the baby, then...

Elizabeth holding the baby. In the hospital. She had to be in her early twenties, tops. The new mother delicately held the newborn, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks and her blonde hair a mess.

"Oh my Lord," Reba whispered in shock.

The baby was her great-grandson.

Tears welling in her own eyes, Reba went over to the crib and looked down at her great-grandchild. It took every ounce of willpower she had not to pick him up and disturb his nap. She brushed his dark blonde hair to the side, wondering what color eyes he had...though first, she'd love to know what his name was. She could probably find that out from something in the room too...

"Grandma Reba?"

Startled, Reba froze at the child's voice in the doorway. It wasn't Alexis, or any of her other grandchildren in her time. She turned around to find a girl who looked about five years old. Here, finally, was Kyra's child...unless Quinn got pregnant right after the ceremony? The girl could be a couple years younger.

Acting like she belonged in this time, Reba smiled and waved. "Hi, sweetheart! Um..."

"How did you get here so fast? You were downstairs."

"Well, I was downstairs, but then I went upstairs. It wasn't really that fast." Reba attempted to laugh it off, meanwhile, she concluded this _had_ to be Kyra's daughter. Only Kyra's child would be naturally suspicious at five-years-old. Eager to change the subject, Reba bent down to the girl's eye level. "What's your name?"

"That's silly, you know my name."

"Humor me. I want to make sure you know it."

The child giggled. "Okay. My name is Teri Nell Walter."

Before Reba could process this, a second voice sounded from the hallway.

"Guess who we named her after?" Kyra walked into the room and picked up her daughter, sending her mother – from the past – a knowing smile. "Cheyenne named Rocky after Dad, so we named this little one after you and our family's guardian angel. She calls him 'Uncle Terry.'"

Fighting through the shock of seeing Kyra as a mother, Reba replied, "You're playing with me, right? _Uncle_ Terry?"

Kyra raised her free hand in an oath. "I swear to my guardian angel uncle."

"Now that's just wrong," Reba said with a laugh. Overwhelmed by all this, Reba latched on to the one train of thought she could process. "So, I still see him, often enough that he's part of the family? I thought after the concert...that would be it. Or, well, _this_ would be it."

Before she replied, Kyra put Teri back down and smiled at her daughter. "Hey, why don't you run downstairs to Daddy, okay? Tell him Grandma Reba's here. Even if she's already...uh, there." Looking confused, Teri shrugged and waved at Reba again before doing as her mother said.

"She's adorable. I already love her so much. Same for this little guy." Reba went back over to the crib and fixed the baby's blanket. "I have a lot of questions and I don't know what to ask first."

Kyra laughed. "I bet you do. I didn't realize how weird this would be, you know? Even after everything I've seen. I mean, this is my first time being the one from the future." She paused. "Wait, does your coma count? Because technically I have seen my past self."

Too distracted to answer her, Reba just shook her head in disbelief. "Lord, you make it sound like a rite of passage for us."

"It kind of is," Kyra joked. "Since I knew this moment was coming, I thought a lot about your time, and why things changed with Terry. I finally figured it out. Before that concert, the subject of angels was almost taboo since the last wish happened. We pretended nothing strange went on and that our lives were normal."

Reba frowned, her reply defensive. "I never told anyone to treat it that way."

"You did without saying it. You never brought it up, so no one else did either. You just wanted to move on." Kyra's words weren't accusatory, but they held pent-up frustration and regret. "Then you finally embraced it once you found out you were going to be an angel. Now Terry shows up for holiday dinners once in a while, and we sometimes talk about the past."

"But that doesn't make sense! Yes, I can see how we might talk about this more, but I don't control how often Terry drops in."

Kyra raised an eyebrow. "Haven't you noticed that he only shows up when you reach out to him? Whether it was through a wish or just asking him to talk?"

"Well, yeah. He's watching over me, so if I need him, he's there. What I _want_ has nothing to do with it. Think about all the crazy stuff we've been through. You think I _wanted_ all that? The only thing that mattered was what my life _needed."_ Reba struggled to keep the agitation out of her voice, still insulted Kyra accused her of denying the truth.

"No, Mom, you played a role in it too." Kyra insisted. "Remember, the star still had power all those years but you never used it. You've always been so obsessed with appearing 'normal,' or resisting anything new. And for some strange reason you still don't believe you can do absolutely anything. You're the only one who ever limits yourself."

Trying to decipher the message in her daughter's lecture, Reba shook her head in confusion. "Thank you, but there _are_ rules that angels have to follow."

"And maybe you would do more good in the future if you broke them." Kyra smirked at her mother's worried expression. "Relax, it'll all fall into place, just like last time. You can start by embracing changes in your life instead of fighting them. It'll be good advice for when this little guy comes along."

Though nervous, Reba brushed the baby's hair again. "Right. Do I get to know anything about him? Like his name?"

"That's probably not a great idea. Sorry, Grandma Reba."

Reba looked up to see Elizabeth in the doorway, Cheyenne in the hallway behind her. Elizabeth looked about twenty and...Cheyenne had short, straight hair? Dyed a light brown? "Whoa," Reba said with a laugh. "And I thought meeting my great-grandson was a shocker. Cheyenne, honey, what did you do to your hair?"

"Don't let me do it!" Cheyenne exclaimed, rushing into the room ahead of her daughter. "No matter what I say, no matter how young I think I'll look, _don't let me do it!_ Make sure you tell past me as soon as you get back to 2017. It is _the_ most important information to remember."

Kyra sighed. "Here I thought it would be more along the lines of, I don't know, seeing her great-grandson? Meeting my daughter?"

"Yeah, yeah." Cheyenne waved a dismissive hand. "Seriously, Mom, _don't let me do it."_

Elizabeth patted her mother's shoulder. "I think Grandma has the message now, Mom."

"Not all of it," Reba replied. "Cheyenne, it doesn't look that bad, but I'll make sure to tell past you when I get back. I gotta ask though, what possessed you to chop all your beautiful hair off?"

Cheyenne pointed an accusatory finger at Elizabeth, who grimaced as she checked on the baby. "Your granddaughter, that's who. She made me a grandmother at thirty-eight! A _grandmother! _The hairdresser said doing this to my hair would make me look ten years younger. She lied, but I still mostly blame Elizabeth because I started getting gray hair way before this."

After she exchanged a smile with Kyra, who also caught the irony, Reba turned to Cheyenne. "And as I recall, you gave me plenty of gray hairs when you were in high school. Maybe I wasn't thirty-eight, but you still made me a grandmother way before I should have been. At least Elizabeth here waited until..." She glanced at her granddaughter. "How old _are_ you? I just realized I still don't know what year it is. Should I be concerned it took me this long to ask?"

Elizabeth laughed. "I'm twenty-one, Grandma. It's 2022."

"Dear Lord," Reba whispered. "This is gonna sound nuts, but all I can think is how last time I went _ten_ years into the future, not five. Does this mean I don't have ten years left?"

Kyra raised an eyebrow. "I really don't think that's what Terry's implying, Mom. Maybe you're going further into the future after this and you never told us about it."

"Or _maybe_ I wanted to make sure I saw you again sooner rather than later."

Terry had appeared in the doorway. "Uncle Terry!" Elizabeth exclaimed, rushing over to hug the angel.

"Her too?" Reba glanced at her daughters.

Cheyenne and Kyra laughed. "She picked it up once the younger kids started doing it a few years ago," Cheyenne explained.

"And I don't mind in the least. Drove you nuts at first though," Terry said, grinning at Reba. "Ready to go home?"

Relieved, Reba nodded. "Oh yeah. But one thing first..." She glanced down at the baby in the crib. He'd woken up but didn't cry since his family was around. His eyes were brown. "Can I hold him?" Reba asked, struggling to keep the emotion out of her voice. "You don't have to tell me his name, who the father is, anything at all. I just want to hold him."

Those from the future gave her the okay, so Reba picked up her great-grandson. She tried her best to memorize his face before giving him back to his mother.


	7. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Two days later – back in 2017 – Reba's life had resumed its typical routine. She didn't tell anyone about her trip to the future. Well, except her husband, because she couldn't keep everything to herself at first. But no one else knew yet. She'd have to warn Cheyenne about the haircut when it came to pass, but Reba felt this wouldn't make a difference in the grand scheme of things. Cheyenne could be stubborn, especially concerning her looks, so she might not even listen when Reba tried to warn her.

For the most part, Reba decided not to share the news because she worried about her great-grandson. Elizabeth in present day planned to go to medical school and become a general practitioner. Having a baby at twenty-one definitely didn't fit in with her detailed plans. If Elizabeth ever found out, she would take extra care to prevent it from happening.

Then again, was Reba being selfish? Shouldn't she put her granddaughter's ambitions first? And wouldn't Elizabeth help a lot more people by becoming a doctor?

Reba tried to convince herself one path didn't preclude the other. Cheyenne had a baby at seventeen, then went on to a career she chose. She even studied to become a dentist before switching to counselor. As long as Elizabeth had the support of her family, and she always would, she could achieve anything she wanted.

While Reba vowed to forget about everything until it happened, she was tempted to blurt it all out when her family came over on Sunday. She spent a lot of time hiding in the kitchen. Unfortunately everyone wanted barbecue again, so she didn't have much of an excuse to be there.

Van must have volunteered to check on her first. He attempted a casual attitude that he did not pull off, worry for her mental state all over his face. "Hey, Mrs. H, need help with anything?"

He'd caught her sitting on a stool and mindlessly browsing her cell phone, her thoughts scattered. She didn't even see him until he got her attention. "Oh! Uh, no, I'm just..."

"Hiding?"

Reba sheepishly put her phone down on the counter. "Okay, you caught me. I'll be there in a second."

"Come on, you can talk to me," Van insisted, ignoring her brush-off. "We used to tell each other everything, remember? I feel like we've drifted apart since this Terry thing started years ago. I'm always the last one to know when anything weird is going on. Which doesn't make _any_ sense because, let's be honest, I've always been the family weirdo."

Reba laughed. "That is a good point. I'm sorry, Van. We still talk, but I guess you're just not in the loop as much when it comes to Terry drama."

"So make up for it now. Mrs. H, I know something's going on in that head of yours. You won't get a moment's peace today until you tell us, so spill it."

"Van, I..." Reba paused, giving him an apologetic look. "I want to, so much. You have no idea..."

Van shook his head. "Whatever it is, you'll feel better once you share it. If it helps...I promise I won't tell the others. As long as there's a good reason."

When her son-in-law put on his best puppy-dog expression, Reba sighed, realizing she had to tell him _something. _"Okay. Um...after the concert on Friday, Terry and I talked."

Van surprised her by laughing. "That's it? Mrs. H, whatever it is, it can't be bigger than finding out you're a future angel. By the way, coolest thing ever, and it's totally fitting. You've been my guardian angel ever since I got your daughter pregnant and moved into your house when I was seventeen. Nothing in my life would've happened if it weren't for you."

"Aw, Van, that's really sweet." Reba paused, figuring out how to explain what happened. "While this might not be as big as everything we've experienced lately, it's still pretty big. Terry sent me into the future again. At least he was nice enough to ask first this time."

There was silence for at least a full minute. Then, finally, Van asked, "So is this going to be like a regular thing now?"

"Lord, I hope not." Though Future Kyra agreed it became commonplace for their family. "But that's why I've been so out-of-sorts even though the concert is over. I'm just going to experience this exact same chaos in two years when Jake..." She abruptly stopped herself and winced. She'd been about to reveal a key event.

As expected, Van wouldn't let it go so easily. "When Jake what? When he what?" Van grinned when it dawned on him. "Does it have something to do with his little girlfriend? She sticks around, doesn't she? They seem great together."

Reba sighed with resignation. "Yes, they stay together, but I'm not saying more than that."

"So did you see me at all? How did I look? I've been thinking about growing a beard. Or shaving my head. Did I do either one? Or...maybe both?" He tilted his head in thought, clearly trying to imagine it.

"Good Lord, you too? You're as bad as Cheyenne."

Van raised an eyebrow. "Why? Does she do something to her hair? Will I like it?"

"You know I'm not sure? This was after...I mean, further into the future, and I didn't see you." Reba had been about to say "after the wedding." She needed to put an end to Van's questions, fast. "Van, I really can't tell you anymore. That's why I wanted to keep this a secret. Too much could change."

"Must not be too bad if you don't want to change it."

"It's not about that, it's..." Reba trailed off when Van stared at a spot on the counter island. She turned around to look. "What is it...oh."

A large greeting card envelop sat on the counter next to the sink. "Mike" was written on the front. A smaller notecard envelop addressed to Reba rested on top of it.

"My God, he did it," Reba whispered.

"Terry?" Van guessed. When she nodded, he followed up with, "Who's Mike?"

As she went over to the envelopes, Reba explained, "Terry's brother, who's still among the living. Guardian angels aren't allowed to visit anyone they knew when they were alive. With everything going on, I started thinking about what Terry went through and came up with this idea. It bends the rules a little but..."

"Whoa, Mrs. H, Rule Breaker. Never thought I'd see the day," Van said with a laugh. "Respect. Does this make you a medium _and_ a psychic? You know, passing messages from the dead on to the living?"

Reba groaned. "Again, _not_ psychic, or a medium. It was just an idea I had."

"Yeah, but as for the psychic thing, it's happened a couple times now. You _can_ see the future, even if you have to ask Terry for an assist."

Shaking her head, Reba refused to consider the argument as she opened the envelop addressed to her. In the envelop, she found a white card with "Thank You" written on the front in silver script. She lifted the cover to find it completely filled with Terry's handwriting. Scanning it quickly first to make sure nothing was meant to be private, she read it out loud for Van:

"Dear Reba,

I can't thank you enough for giving me this opportunity. I went back and forth on this, but in the end, telling my brother everything left unsaid will be the best closure I can ever get. Not many people would think of their guardian angel's needs before their own. As grateful as I am, my one request is that you don't read my letter to Mike. It's meant to stay between brothers. I have a feeling you'll understand and respect my wishes, so thank you in advance.

Below is Mike's current address and phone number. If he asks where you got them...well, I'm sure you'll think of something!

See you soon,

Uncle Terry"

While Reba smiled at Terry's words, Van gave her a sideways glance. "'Uncle' Terry? How..."

"You'll find out eventually." Feeling much better about everything, Reba hugged Van briefly before she put the cards in a drawer. She'd call Mike and tell him about the letter during the week. "Thanks for the talk, Van. I needed it."

"Anytime, Mrs. H."

As if she'd been waiting for a cue, Cheyenne burst into the kitchen, Adam and Kyra behind her. "Okay, now that Mom's better, can we get this thing started? We've already got a bunch of ideas to run by you."

"Cheyenne, were you eavesdropping?" Van asked, noticing his wife's perfect timing.

Nervous her family might have heard about the future, Reba demanded, "Ya'll need to tell me exactly what you heard. If it changes the future..."

"Relax, Mom," Kyra assured her, sitting down in a kitchen chair to rest. "We didn't hear any details, just that you went to the future again." She glanced at her mother. "However, if you happened to see my kid, any information is welcome. You know, boy or girl, the name, etc. Especially the name. Bryce and I haven't decided on anything yet."

Reba was sure her hesitation gave her away. "I did. I already love my future grandbaby so much, but that's all I can say."

"Fine," Kyra replied, trying not to be annoyed. "Well, if you need ideas for my birthday present, it's something to consider."

Though reluctant to believe her family didn't hear _anything_, Reba realized Kyra was probably telling the truth. Cheyenne would have asked about her impending haircut immediately if she heard the whole conversation. "Noted. Is Reverend Parks here yet?"

"Yeah," Adam confirmed. "Since you told everyone that Reverend Parks knows about Terry, Barbra Jean and Brock are giving him a recap of the concert situation. Poor guy seems overwhelmed."

Reba laughed. "To be fair, Barbra Jean generally has that effect on people. I just hope she hasn't called him 'Reverend Yummy-pants' by mistake." Mentally preparing herself for a long afternoon, Reba put an arm around her husband's waist. "This is a good idea, right? All of us starting a non-profit theatre company? Nobody here's ever run a charity before..."

"That's why Reverend Parks is here, though," Cheyenne reminded her. "He'll tell us where to start. I love my counseling patients can volunteer, they're always looking to get involved. Even better, the proceeds will help support teenage mothers in the area. This is an awesome idea, Mom."

Adam nodded in agreement, returning his wife's hug with an even tighter one. "Same goes for my charges. I know tons of people who'd volunteer their time. Plus, Reba, you and Kyra can spread the word using your celebrity. We already have the foundation. All we need is a plan." He gave his wife a proud smile. "How _did_ you come up with this?"

Blushing, Reba gave a modest shrug. She'd come up with the idea as soon as her career brought in the biggest paycheck she'd personally ever seen in her life. Well, she always knew she'd start a charity, she just never knew what it would be or how to start one. The idea seemed too big for her take on in addition to her full schedule. While she never saw the organization in action during her trip to the future, talking to Future Kyra inspired confidence. '_You're the only one who ever limits yourself.' _Reba needed to test those limits and see just how far she could go.

"Oh, it's been in the back of my mind for a while," Reba said, guiding her family into the living room. "Terry just nudged me in the right direction. As it turns out, seeing the future isn't all bad."


	8. Bonus Chapter

**Bonus Chapter**

"What exactly am I supposed to tell this man? 'Hey, good to see you after fifteen years, your brother's my guardian angel now and he says hi'? What was I _thinking?_" Reba paced around the living room, tapping Mike's card against the palm of her other hand. Brock, Barbra Jean and Adam waited with her for moral support. The kids all had their own activities and play-dates on this Saturday afternoon. Normally she and Brock would love to reminisce with their old friend, but under the circumstances...

Reba doubted this would go well.

Why did she invite him to the house? Technically she didn't even have to call. She should've just put Mike's card in a bigger envelope and mailed it to him – Terry gave her the address. But she still called Mike first. They exchanged the latest news, then had a long chat about old times. She'd invited him for lunch without thinking. Mike accepted because, as fate would have it, he needed to pass through Houston anyway to pick up his wife from a nearby airport. He offered to drive in early to have lunch, so how could Reba say no?

How_ could_ she say no?

"I shouldn't have broken the rules," Reba continued. "That's why Mike's coming here, you know. I'm being punished. Figures, the _one_ time I break a rule, and it's a heavenly one! Shouldn't I have learned by now not to ask for trouble? Especially from The Big Guy Himself?"

While she meant every word, her family tried desperately not to laugh. "Well, I mean, people do say 'go big or go home,'" Brock teased through his chuckles. "You went _really _big."

Since Reba looked ready to slap Brock with Mike's card, his wife intervened. "Will you relax, Reba?" Barbra Jean replied. She sat on the arm of the couch, worried for her best friend's mental state. It seemed par for the course these days. "For the record, I think you should tell Mike. Terry's his _brother._ I'm sure he'd love to know Terry's at peace – for the most part."

Brock shook his head in disbelief. "Honey, she _can't_ tell him. He'll think we're all lunatics!" With a sigh he added, "Sometimes I wonder if we are."

Stepping in front of his wife, Adam put his hands on her shoulders. "You're overthinking this, babe. Just stick with the original plan. Tell him you found the letter in the stuff Terry left you. It was your first instinct and it's the best solution."

"But is it wrong?" Reba argued, panic clouding a plan that felt foolproof hours ago. "What if Barbra Jean's right and Mike deserves to know?"

"If he was supposed to know, Terry would've visited Mike long before now."

Reba's shoulders sagged at her husband's calm logic. "Yeah, that's what it comes down to, doesn't it?" Exhausted from stress, Reba sat on the edge of the loveseat closest to the door. "I just feel bad about this. It'd be like...like..."

"My son's mother being a guardian angel," Adam finished quietly.

Everyone gave him sympathetic looks. Reba had been too distracted to think of it, but all this recent talk of death and angels probably stirred up painful emotions for her husband. "Oh God, Adam, I'm sorry, I..."

"No, I didn't mean for you to apologize," Adam insisted. "I just meant I know what Mike went through, in a way. And I've given this some thought since finding out about Reba's destiny. I hope Melinda's a guardian angel now. She'd be perfect for the job."

Reba put her arm through her husband's, pulling him closer towards her. "I'm sure she would, honey," Reba said. Adam remained standing and wrapped his arms around Reba's shoulders, his thoughts wandering for a minute.

Meanwhile, Brock cleared his throat. "Would you want to know for sure?" he asked tentatively.

"You must want to see her," Barbra Jean added.

Fighting off strong emotions, Adam finally sat down on the loveseat, still holding Reba's hand. "I do, of course," Adam said in a soft voice. "But I think...I think it would be too hard. Seeing her for only a second, then never again for the rest of my life. Knowing she's out there in the universe but out of my reach. It would be too much." He gave his wife a reassuring smile. "I'd love for her to meet you, though. She'd be happy I found someone."

"I'd love to meet her too," Reba replied, kissing the top of his head.

They all shook off the moment and refocused on their impending visitor. "That settles it, then," Brock said. "We don't tell Mike."

"No, I guess not," Barbra Jean muttered.

Adam squeezed Reba's hand. "It'll be fine, babe."

The doorbell rang a few minutes later. Bracing herself, Reba went to the door, Brock trailing behind her. Despite the situation they were both eager to see their old friend. Reba opened the door to find a man with greying brown hair, and more of a gut than he'd had fifteen years ago. "Mike!" she exclaimed happily, trying to hide her anxiety.

"Reba!" Mike greeted, wrapping her in a bear hug that lifted her off her feet. "Damn, it's good to see you! And Brock! What are you doing here? Aren't you two supposed to be divorced?" Mike hugged Brock as well, which Brock returned with equal enthusiasm.

Laughing, Brock explained, "Reba and I divorced, but we're still family. She invited me over since she knew I'd want to see you. Mike, this is my wife Barbra Jean."

"And this is my husband, Adam," Reba said, rounding off introductions. She'd been afraid to invite Mike to the wedding, worried things would be awkward given the Terry situation. Mike probably hadn't expected an invitation anyway.

After everyone shook hands, they all took seats in the living room. "Ya'll could've knocked me over with a feather when Reba called me last week," Mike said. "I gotta ask, how the hell did you get my home number? It's not listed."

"Um, I called the bar," Reba lied. She began tapping the card against her palm again, nerves emerging now that she was no longer distracted. At least Mike seemed to accept her excuse easily enough. Forcing herself to hold the card steady with both hands, she began, "Here's the thing, Mike. I contacted you for a reason."

Mike nodded. "You didn't give me any details on the phone, but I figured it had to be something. Is this about Terry?"

"Yes," Reba answered, her voice even. She tried not to get too paranoid that Mike knew something. Of course it would be about his brother, why else would she reach out to him like this? "Um, I was going through the stuff he left me. I'm not sure if you remember..."

"The records, yeah, I remember." Mike grinned. "Carole King was one of your favorites. Loved when you sang 'So Far Away' at the bar, and I'm so glad to hear you're a pro now. Always seemed like a bunch of wasted talent when you didn't pursue it back then."

Reba's knew her face must have been red from embarrassment. "Oh, thank you, that's really sweet. You see, um, when I found the records a while back, a card...slipped out. I guess I never noticed." Reba held up the silver envelope with Mike's name on it. "This is for you."

"Oh my God, another letter?" Mike whispered. He gingerly took it from her, as if he didn't want to mess up the envelope. He frowned when he noticed something. "This paper looks brand-new."

Not expecting that reaction, Reba exchanged nervous glances with her family. "I guess the record sleeve kept it well-preserved." She grimaced at the weak lie.

"Must have. This is Terry's handwriting." Mike shook his head and offered them an apologetic frown. "I'm sorry, I'm not accusing you of anything. Of course you'd have no reason to write a fake letter. It's just...not like the others he left. For one thing, the paper's much fancier than I would've pegged him for, you know?" Mike shrugged, fortunately oblivious to the increased tension in the room. "We'll never know, I guess. Not like we can ask him."

The way he said it made something inside Reba snap. He _knew._ She didn't have any proof, but she couldn't shake the absolute certainty. "Mike...you've seen Terry too, haven't you?" Reba asked, shocking her family.

"Reba!" Brock exclaimed.

Mike was so overwhelmed he couldn't speak for a second. "Y-you've...you've _seen_ him? H-how?"

"Reba didn't mean it like that," Barbra Jean blurted. "S-she meant, uh...she _meant_..."

Ignoring her family's efforts to prevent disaster, Reba looked directly at Mike. "You first."

Mike put his head in his hands, still holding the unopened card. "I can't. Ya'll are going to think I'm a total nutcase."

"Try us," Adam replied.

Lifting up his head, Mike stared at the people around him, noting their eager, interested expressions. He relaxed just enough to begin his story. "Okay, but remember ya'll asked. The truth is...I've seen Terry's ghost. More than once." When no one laughed, or accused him of needing medical attention, he gathered enough courage to continue. "I've never heard him say a word, but once in a rare while...he's just there. And at key moments too. I don't even know how to describe it, but I'll be struggling with something, look up...and see him there. Then all of a sudden I'll know what I'm supposed to do." He let out a long sigh. "I realize I sound crazy, but in a weird way it's nice to get all this off my chest. I haven't even told my wife."

"We don't think you're crazy, Mike." Reba wasn't sure how much to share, but she had to tell him something. "Terry is...around. I've seen him too."

"So have I," Brock chimed in. Adam and Barbra Jean kept quiet, recognizing it would be even stranger for a "ghost" to haunt someone he never met during his lifetime.

Mike stared at his old friends with wide eyes. "You're both serious about this. Don't take this the wrong way, but why the hell would my brother visit the two of you? Didn't you dump Terry for him?" Mike asked, pointing to the respective parties. "Unless maybe he's out for revenge."

Reba laughed, maybe a little too hard. She found the irony more amusing than the actual joke. From the way Adam, Barbra Jean and Brock hid their laughter, she knew they felt the same way. "You'd think so, wouldn't you?" she finally said. "Um, why don't you read the card? Unless you'd rather wait until you had some privacy."

"I think I'll hold off for now." Mike put the card in his pants pocket and resumed staring at his old friends in awe. "I don't know what to make of this, Reba. What does it all mean?" He sighed again, talking more to himself than his hosts. "I wish I could _talk_ to him, you know? Just once. Ghosts haunt you because of unresolved issues, right? I wish he could tell me what all this is about and we could both move on."

"You do, huh?" Reba muttered, wondering if this was a sign. The fact that Mike made a _wish_ to see his brother...it had to be. "Well, Mike, I wish he could too."

Barbra Jean gasped, realizing what Reba intended. Adam and Brock struggled to hide their nerves. "Do you think that'll work, Reba?" Brock asked without thinking. "Don't you need, uh..."

He meant the star. Honestly Reba wished on instinct and forgot she needed it. Meanwhile, Mike was very confused by the adults' reaction to a wish. "What are ya'll talking about?" he asked.

"Me, if indirectly."

Terry's voice came from behind the couch. Mike jumped up, looking around wildly for a second before seeing his brother by the kitchen door. Everyone stared in amazement while Mike processed his brother's appearance. "Oh my God...how..." Mike finally settled on one thought. "You spoke this time."

Suddenly anxious about her abrupt decision, Reba ran over to Terry. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't even sure it would work without the star. But Mike literally made a wish to see you and I just..."

"Acted on instinct. About time." Terry gave her a brief hug, gratitude in his expression as he pulled away. "As for the star, consider this a freebie."

Glancing at shell-shocked Mike, then back to Terry, Reba teased, "Break any other rules lately? Mike here says he's seen you quite a few times."

Terry laughed. "Hey, you can't judge me now when the letter was your idea."

"I think I'm gonna pass out," Mike blurted as he fell back down on the couch. "Somebody tell me what the _hell_ is going on here. _Preferably Terry._ I...I don't understand this, have you been alive this whole time and checking up on me? But no, that can't be right, you were sick. I saw you fade away."

Reba moved to the side while Terry sat down next to his brother. No one else said a word. "You did, Mike," Terry said. "A miracle happened when I died. I became an angel. Specifically, Reba's guardian angel."

"W-who grants wishes, apparently?" Mike blurted in complete disbelief.

"It's a long story," Barbra Jean offered.

Brock nodded. "A very, very long story."

Mike stayed quiet for several more minutes, unable to take his eyes off his brother. "So you're not haunting me. You're guiding me."

"Tryin' to," Terry agreed. "Not a lot of wiggle room with the rules and all, or I would've said 'hi' long before now. This is _really_ pushing it but I had to take the chance." He glanced at Reba. "You might not see me for a while if They put me on probation."

Adam raised an eyebrow. "There's probation for angels?"

"What's more shocking," Reba added, "You _haven't_ gotten it before?"

Mike couldn't help bursting out laughing. "Maybe I wasn't so far off track with my revenge theory. Terry, have you been driving Reba crazy this whole time?"

"Yes!" Reba and her family exclaimed in unison. When the brothers started laughing again, Reba motioned for everyone to join her in the kitchen. "We'll let you two have a moment while we put lunch together. Mike, we'd love for you to stay...and Terry, you're always welcome."

When the group stood to move towards the kitchen, Terry held up a hand. "Wait, I need to go soon. Having a long talk with Mike would be way too far over the line." He stared at his brother for a second, different emotions competing for room in his expression. "Everything I wanted to say is in the card. I love you, and I'll always watch over you – for as long as I can get away with it. I don't know why you've tortured yourself wondering if you could've been a better caretaker. You did everything right in those final years. I couldn't have asked for better, Mike. Now I want you to finally enjoy your life while you still can."

Watching the brothers hug for the last time, Reba felt tears in her own eyes. Barbra Jean was crying next to her and the guys looked emotional. Reba would've liked to give the brothers privacy, but at this point, she couldn't turn away.

"T-thank you," Mike whispered, struggling to speak. "I love you too, goes without saying. You always had my back when you were here, and you still do even...even after. I won't be greedy and say I hope this can happen again some day. I'm just grateful. This was a miracle I never could've expected." He glanced at Reba, directing that gratitude towards her. "I'm not sure how it works, but I know you played a role in this. Thank you, too. Terry, give her a break, will you?"

As everyone laughed, Terry prepared to leave. "Alright, now I really have to go..." He turned to look at his brother one last time. "It's tough on this end too, Mike. At least now you know I'm here."

Mike nodded, his eyes still full of gratitude, too emotional to say another word. They all watched as Terry disappeared. No one broke the silence at first. Adam wrapped his arms around Reba, while Brock hugged Barbra Jean.

"How about that?" Mike whispered finally, holding back tears. He turned to his old friends. "This happen a lot? You didn't seem surprised at all. Reba, you in particular act like angels pop up around here all the time."

Reba laughed as she went over to Mike. "Well, if it helps, I've only met the one angel..."

"Two for us, including you," Barbra Jean pointed out. She cringed when Mike gave her a surprised look, realizing too late she'd opened up a can of worms.

At Mike's curious look, Reba hastily said, "Um, speaking figuratively of course. Thank you for that nice compliment, Barbra Jean." She let out a nervous, fake laugh and changed the subject. "So, um, after everything, I'd still love for you to stay for lunch."

"Oh, right, lunch..." Mike said, sounding like his thoughts were miles away. "Um, can I take a raincheck? I want to drive around and clear my head before I go to the airport. I gotta at least seem like my regular self when I pick up my wife."

The others nodded in understanding, though Adam asked, "You're not going to tell her about this?"

Brock shook his head in response. "She'd never believe him."

Mike pointed at Brock. "Got it in one. _Nobody_ would believe this."

"Now you have an idea of what I've been living with," Reba joked.

"Look who you're talking to, Reba. I lived with him my whole...his whole life." Mike meant it as a joke, but it became bittersweet when he realized the implications. He gave her a pleading glance. "Watch out for him, alright? I know he's the guardian angel here, and I'm still wrapping my head around that one. But he needs someone watching his back too."

Holding back tears again, Reba nodded. "I already am, I promise."

Mike hugged her tight to express his gratitude. "I'll never be able to thank you enough, Reba. I swear I'll honor that raincheck. We're gonna keep in touch this time, and not just because I wanna hear all the Terry stories."

"There's plenty of those," Reba assured him. "Not sure how many you'll believe."

"After today? Every, single one."

They all said their good-byes, with Reba and Brock walking him to the door. "Great seeing you, Mike," Brock said. "Even under the strange circumstances. I also have regrets about letting so much time pass, and not making amends with Terry _before_ he died. After a certain point everything should've been water under the bridge."

Mike nodded in agreement. "I might start with that charity Reba told me about over the phone. Unfortunately I'm always busy with the bar, but I know a bunch of people who'd love to help. Let me know when the charity's up and running."

"Thanks, Mike. I will." Reba smiled after he left, amazed at how everything worked out. She'd reconnected with an old friend, and possibly recruited new volunteers for her charity. Maybe she didn't break a rule after all. "How about that?" she whispered as she closed the door.


End file.
